Two-Handed Stitcher

An Old Favorite

2012-01-26T07:30:00.000-08:00

I was doing a bit of pattern printing this week, and every time I print an older pattern of mine, I find something new and different to like about it.

Take FEATHERED DIAMONDS, for instance.... one of my first designs done 'way back in 2000.

It only uses two skeins of any variegated Watercolours thread you like, plus 2 skeins (or 1 ball) of #5 pearl cotton in ecru, or any pale background color. I think I used Watercolours 51 - "Abalone" on this original model.... but everytime I print it out I'm struck again at how timeless this design is, yet complicated enough for the eye to find something interesting to look at!

And without lots of thread color changes, you get the chance to really absorb the luscious colors in the solo variegated skein you've chosen for the piece. If you have a particular thread color you love, this would be a great pattern to highlight it, I think. Really, this design is an elegant feast for the eye...yet retains a bit of Amish simplicity, too.

I love all the little triangles that edge all the border strips. I love the central diamond square by itself and think it would make a sweet little ornament just this size:

But then I really, really like the wavy ecru border that frames the center, and would like to make another ornament that shows THAT off as well...

And then I wonder what it would look like with metallic threads used in the circle motifs found in the corners or in the wavy ribbon border... And really, there's no reason why a solid color couldn't be added to the mix in the outer borders or in the wavy ribbon lines....

Sigh.... so many options to play with in this one simple pattern... I wish I had time to explore them all!

Stops and Starts

2012-01-24T07:34:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd post a picture of the latest Prairie Schooler "12 Days of Christmas" Santa I finished last week. It's the "seven swans a singing" square and I thoroughly enjoyed stitching the swans in this one:

I think it's going to be the last one I work on for a while. Time for the Santas to go back in the Christmas vault, while I pull out a few half-started new designs for 2012...

The first one I'm focusing on is something I'm calling ACE OF DIAMONDS, because it's got lots of diamond motifs thruout the piece. And it's worked in what I consider my "January colors" -- icy blues, teals, and purples (I'm using Watercolours 192 - "Elderberry Wine" - one of my favs, because it's so incredibly deep and rich and has such a good spectrum of colors to play with)...

There is a lot of icy blue and purple metallic in this piece, but the scanned image just doesn't pick it up. Sigh. Believe me, this is a sparkly, spangly piece with plenty of fun zig zag rows and all sorts of diamonds to whip up....

After working thruout the holiday season on lots of basketweave stitching, it's pleasant to return to some satisfying geometric work again. So tonight I'm going to be very cozy in my evening stitching station, watching tv and getting back into the groove of my January blues stitchin' mood! ...

And oh yeah, so long, all you santas... I'll be seeing you again next winter!

A New Cyber Class

2012-01-19T13:17:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm so pleased to report that the folks at TRIPOD have fixed the bugs that were bugging my website.

Whew!So now I can finally say that all the newly added PAYPAL buttons seem to be appearing - Woo Hoo! That makes things easier for you and me both....

And TA DA -- my new Cyber Class listing is finally visible to the world. Double Whew!Here's the next class that I've created -- SPRING TULIPS...

I wanted to surprise all you stitchers with something a little bit different this time. Something that wasn't counted canvaswork geometrics... or the shadow stitching on printed canvas... So why not a springy floral bouquet of three tulips to celebrate the arrival of spring? And this time, the project is worked on 24 ct. Congress Cloth with stranded Splendor silks. And you'll even have a choice of red, pink or yellow tulips! Here's a closer look at the class project:

In this class (which will start on March 17th) you'll be drawing the 6.5" x 8.5" tulip image onto your fabric yourself. Then filling in the areas with stitch patterns that create the illusion of satiny petals and twisty leaves. The background area is a floral blackwork pattern that is stitched with a variegated ThreadworX thread, and includes a subtle bit of sparkle with green Kreinik Blending Filament. If you are interested in trying out a new stitching technique this spring, please visit my new and improved website and click on the LJP CYBER CLASSES menu at the top.

Mini Mystery Monday #4, pt. 3

2012-01-16T07:33:00.000-08:00

Time to wrap up this small mystery project!!

Let's begin by adding a sweet and simple border around your snowflake design.
And I've come up with two versions, so you can decide which one you want to stitch on your project.

Here's the first one that I stitched on my model:

Start at the CENTER of the border row, counting up TWO THREADs from the tip of your snowflake, and work the zig zag row first, using 1 ply of the variegated Watercolours. Please note that each of your zig zag shapes are made up of four stitches (as numbered on the graph), until you reach each corner -- and that last corner shape is made of FIVE stitches! Next, add the sparkly metallic Smyrna Stars inside the zig zags and the Smyrna Squares in the corners - using 1 strand of your bright metallic ribbon color. Finally, do a simple backstitch row on either side of the zig zag border, to give it a clean finished outline. TA DA... FINI!

But wait a minute... if you want to try another easy border that you'd like to add beads to, stitch this one in the same manner described above:

And here's the graph for the whole design (with both borders included in the graph):

And as you can see in the whole graph, I've shown a few places to add small beads around the snowflake, if you want a little bit more sparkle.

So your sweet new mystery project should look something like this:

I hope you've enjoyed stitching this project which combines a few diagonal satin stitches with a little bit of blackwork. It's fun to see how different techniques can be combined in interesting and easy ways, don't you think? And, here's a surprise for you: look what happens to this design when you do it in white #5 pearl cotton on RED canvas with a touch of pale gold metallic ribbon:

Isn't that totally amazing how different it looks? Makes me want to go back and stitch the previous Mini Mystery pieces on red canvas as valentine ornaments!!

So give it a try.... this little design lends itself well to all different types of threads, so I hope you get a chance to play around with it and find your own unique combinations....

A New Design for The New Year

2012-01-10T12:47:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited to show you my first new pattern for 2012!
It's called "STAINED GLASS WINDOWS" and it looks like this:

It's a larger piece than most of my other designs - 12.5" x 12.5" stitched on 18 ct. brown mono canvas.

The inspiration for this larger design actually happened after I designed a smaller "Triptych Mystery" piece for NEEDLEPOINT NOW magazine (which ran in their Sept/Oct, Nov/Dec, Jan/Feb issues). Here's that whole of that smaller design:

I enjoyed stitching up this 3-part piece so much, that I stared and stared at it when it was hanging on my project wall. After a while it struck me that I could expand the patterns into a nine-patch layout, using the brown-framed squares as if they were windows. But windows of what? Well, the rich jewel-toned colors of Watercolours 231 "Ethiopia" reminded me of old cathedral stained glass (I toyed with the idea of naming this pattern "Cathedral Windows"), so I went rooting around my variegated Watercolours skeins, looking for other colors that would look good inside "wooden" brown frames....

I came up with three different colorways: the blue & green one I used on the model - Watercolours 289 "Lexi's Blue" (which is a new color from Caron Collection); a purple & orange version which uses the same Watercolours 231 "Ethiopia" as the Triptych Mystery piece (which I think is totally stunning and dramatic); and a red & gold version that also uses a new Watercolours color 290 from Caron called "Mystery Mix". Here are snippets of the two other colorways I list on the pattern:

The Purple & Orange version

The Red & Gold version

If you look closely you'll see that the smaller design is the foundation row for the middle of the STAINED GLASS WINDOWS piece, but I expanded the patterns, added a few more thread colors and added LOTS more "bling" with metallic accents and of course, gold beads. In fact, one of the fun design elements was incorporating one unexpected gold motif within each square of the design, so overall there would be lots of interesting treasures to look at.

Each of the squares has two different stitch patterns in it, plus a gold band running diagonally across the middle. And even the gold bands alternate between blue and green rows! I've also separated the two color families of blues and greens by working them in alternating rows of the large diamond shapes, just to create another subtle design element. Of course there are plenty of subtle color and pattern changes within the overall piece, but I chose lots of fun patterns (nothing difficult) so it was an absolute joy to stitch, block by block.

Here's an up-close look at the middle block so you can get a peek at some of the elements:

And after I had finished stitching the large model, and it too was hanging on my project wall, I realized that just FOUR of the squares could be stitched to create a very interesting smaller piece. So,I've included suggestions for a four-square version in the pattern for your additional stitching pleasure.

Now I must also tell you that I was so focused on stitching this pattern in rich "stained glass" colors that I reluctantly had to dismiss other color combinations or favorite variegated threads because they didn't "fit" with the brown window frames I'd decided upon. But this design would look fabulous in ANY OTHER COLOR COMBINATION you can think of. Don't limit yourself to the brown squares... but try another dark color for your borderlines, then create your own fabulous color confection. (I'd love to see this in a monochromatic version in whites and creams or maybe pale pinks or aquas??) There are sooooo many luscious colors to play with, it's hard to choose just one to use in a design, so I'm counting on you to surprise me with whatever colors you can find!

So if you're interested in this new STAINED GLASS WINDOWS design, please visit my website: Laura J. Perin Designs real soon..... And psssssst: I'm pleased to announce that I've been able to update MOST of my website so there are PAYPAL buttons for each item (there are a few glitches that the website company is still working out for me)-- making it easier to purchase my designs.

Mini Mystery Monday #4, pt. 2

2012-01-09T07:42:00.000-08:00

Are you ready to add some sparkly metallic color to your new design?

You should have your center star and surrounding "snowflake" stitched by now, so let's add some glittery excitement to your work so far...

There are several places to add some Smyrna Squares and Stars in the design you've already stitched. Using one strand of whatever metallic ribbon thread you've chosen, go ahead and follow this graph to add a bit of bling to your project:

And although I'm sure you know how to make those fun Smyrnas, here's a detail graph to use as a reminder:

How do you like your little snowflake motif now? Pretty cute, huh?

After you have your metallic stitches added, step back a moment and take a good look at this design. It should look something like mine:

Just as it looks right now, can you see how you could create a larger design by stitching four more of these snowflakes, and arranging them in a square so they just barely touch (leaving 1 or 2 canvas threads between each snowflake)? Each snowflake motif is roughly 3.5" in size, so if you did another three of them you could create a larger blackwork design that measured roughly 7" x 7" on 18 ct. canvas. (The design would be considerably smaller if you stitched it on 24 ct. Congress Cloth, as well...) Using some computer magic, here's what it would look like:

Next Monday we'll add a quick border that repeats a few of the snowflake elements and before you know it, you'll have another little project finished!
See you next week...

Marching Right Along

2012-01-07T07:47:00.000-08:00

I mentioned in my last Prairie Schooler posting that I was hoping to get the next row of Santas done in the "12 Days of Christmas" series. Well, TA DA - I met my goal and finished the row this week! And here it is (please ignore the scanner blip):

It was so fun to work on the parrots (for the "four calling birds") because it called for bright green and turquoise, for a change!

Then it was also fun to do the "six geese a-laying" with Canada Geese - one of my favorite birds!

But really, the "five golden rings" block was a total blast to stitch! The PS designer who thought up the golden hoops idea was totally brilliant, don't you think? And after stitching the little black dog, I decided to personalize it a bit to make it look like my half-pointer dog, Katie. I delicately added a bit of white on the dog's legs, neck and belly (to suggest Katie's feathery legs and tummy) so now it looks like this:

It tickles me no end to look at it, since it suits her playful personality -- she's ALWAYS ready to play fetch with just about anything, and I know this is JUST the way she'd greet Santa!Anyway, I've started the next row of Santas, but I'm not sure if I'm going to have the focus to continue much further....

It's time to get back to a whole bunch of new projects I'm designing for spring. They're hanging on my grid-wall, half-started and ready to pick up again and finish.... Sigh, I may have to leave the ol' Santa project for next Christmas to get finished.... but you never know -- ho, ho, ho!

Mini Mystery Monday #4

2012-01-02T07:58:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!

How are you starting your new year? By reading lots of new blogs? Watching the colorful Rose Parade? Getting out the snacks in preparation for watching lots of football games or movies? Or starting a new stitching project after you've done all of the above?

I've decided to start the New Year with a simple but slightly different type of mystery ornament for you. It's small and fast and you'll see a lot of the background canvas. And because it's the first ornament of winter, let's get a piece of white 18 ct. canvas - at least 6" x 6" in size. [After you stitch this one up the first time and see what it looks like, you might want to play with it on different colors of canvas... but more on that later!] The finished size of this small design is 4" x 4" on 18 ct. canvas, and the actual thread count is 68 by 68 threads. If you want to try a smaller version on 24 ct. Congress Cloth, your design will be 3" x 3" in size - and you should use finer threads, like Caron Wildflowers (or any variegated #8 pearl cotton) with a finer metallic thread such as Kreinik # 8 Braid or Rainbow Gallery's Treasure Braid Petite.

So....first of all, I want you to think about what COLORS come to mind when you think of JANUARY. Do you think of blues and silvers? Lavenders and purples? Aquas?? Hot Pink?!? In any event, go get a variegated thread color that evokes wintry January for you (you'll only need half a skein of a Watercolours thread, if that, so go looking thru your pile of used threads for this project)... Then pick out a sparkly metallic ribbon thread that matches your variegated thread (like Ribbon Floss, Neon Rays+, or Kreinik 1/16th Ribbon).

Since I think of cool blues and purples for January, I chose a medium bluey/aqua combo, similar to Watercolours 019, "Tropic Seas" with a really icy blue Ribbon Floss 144-009, so my thread palette for this project looks like this:

Yup. Just two threads needed for this sweet little project. That makes it easy, doesn't it?

Okay, once you have your threads and canvas mounted on bars, find the center of your canvas and stitch this separated star motif, using 1 ply of your 3-ply strand of variegated Watercolours:

The "c" in the middle of the graph represents the CENTER of your canvas, so count outwards from the "c." And your star should look something like this:

Once you have that star motif stitched, you can continue with the next part of the central design, which is a sort of a snowflake design, done in BLACKWORK! But you're not using a black thread - no, no, no, you're going to continue stitching with 1 ply of the variegated Watercolours thread you've chosen. Anchor your new thread on the back of the star you've just stitched and then work outwards using this graph:

Work your blackwork design in a Running Backstitch, which is done like this:

I highly recommend using this stitch (instead of the standard backstitch, which can leave "shadow stitches" on the back of your work that show thru to the front - especially when stitching on the large 18 ct. canvas) for two important reasons:
1) it keeps the colors on your variegated thread flowing nicely together and doesn't create abrupt color changes;
2) it's tidier, as you move the stitched line over the canvas you don't create any messy "shadow stitches" that show thru to the front.

So there's the first part of your next Mini Mystery project to work on. I'll see you next Monday for the next installment, where we'll add a little sparkle to your blackwork!

Some Holiday Stitchin'

2011-12-27T08:36:00.000-08:00

Now that the holiday hoopla has started to die down, I've been able to pull out an old Christmas project and do a little bit of "fun" stitching.
Last year I purchased the set of Prairie Schooler "12 Days of Christmas" patterns and wanted to work them all as one piece. Here's what I've got done thus far:

Instead of cross stitching them, I'm mainly doing basketweave stitches with 4 ply DMC floss on 18 ct. sandstone mono canvas(for a slightly antiquey look). And wherever I can add some fun/easy alternate stitches - like Smyrnas, or diagonal satin stitch or long stitches - I'll do so, to add a bit of unexpected texture to the overall piece. And I'm also going to add small gold beads to all the Santa's coats when I've stitched everything, just to add a bit more sparkle and dimension... Here's the FIRST design up-close, so you can see the few stitch changes I've made:

I've left the numbers unstitched so far, because I don't know what color I want them to be -- dark brown? gold metallic? dark red? I can't decide, so I'll leave them undone until inspiration strikes...

And I've started on the second row of Santas this week. I hope I'll be able to breeze thru a few more of them before "work" stitching beckons and I have to put these Santas back in the closet...

I hope you're all enjoying the "after-Christmas" glow and have snatched some quiet time to do some stitching on a favorite project. It's time to clear the decks and get ready for the New Year, isn't it? Time to start thinking about starting some new and exciting projects, don't you think?

Mini Mystery Monday #3

2011-12-19T07:23:00.000-08:00

There's just a little bit more to do before this small ornament design is finished.

First, let's put a quick little border pattern around your set of eyelets.
When working on a diagonal border, you have to find an element that fits well on the diagonal. Smyrna Stars are perfect for creating a quick but elegant border.

Starting at the top tip of your stitched eyelets, create a row of Smyrna Stars, alternating colors of 1 strand gold Ribbon Floss with 1 strand of your bright accent color #5 pearl cotton... with a graph that looks like this:

And your stitches should look something like this:

Although I should mention here that you certainly can stitch your Smyrnas all in one color if you want (all gold? all red metallic??) or you can stitch TWO rows of Smyrnas if you want a wider border space... In any event, work your Smyrnas all around your eyelets, so the border is finished, before going on to the next step...

Which is to add the final outer border - a padded border that looks like this:

With 1 strand of your dark #5 pearl cotton color, lay 4 long diagonal stitches along the outer edge of your stitching. Then cover those long stitches with straight stitches (going over 5 canvas threads), to create a raised, padded border.

To see how all the elements fit together, here's the full graph for this ornament:

Once your borders are all stitched, you have one more stitch sequence to work. You need to add a few more long diagonal straight stitches in-between each of your eyelet diamonds. Use 1 strand of the finer gold Kreinik #8 Braid 002HL, and you'll notice as you stitch them how outlining your diamond eyelets suddenly gives them more definition and makes them "pop" on the canvas.

And to make your ornament as sparkly as possible (that's what ornaments are about, right?) let's finish by adding lots of beads! See the full graph above, to place all your beads. And once you do, here's what your ornament should look like:

I thought this little ornament was super fast and fun to stitch -- I hope you agree! I also think there are lots of ways you can stitch this particular design and change the look entirely by playing around with different colors and different threads. I'd love to try this in a more monochromatic color scheme - maybe whites and golds? or icy blues and silver? - and see how it looks... If you stumble across any great combos, send me a picture and I'll share it with the rest of the Mini Mystery stitchers out there!

And P.S.: I'm taking a break from ornament stitching for a little bit, and I won't be posting anything on the Monday after Christmas..... so check back a little bit later, okay?

Just a Quick Note, Stitchers...

2011-12-15T11:27:00.000-08:00

In my enthusiasm to pass along my "Mini Mystery" ornaments to you, I forgot to mention a few very important facts.

First, all of the ornaments I've posted are copyright protected by
COPYRIGHT 2011 Laura J. Perin Designs, with ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Secondly, these Mini Mystery Monday projects are for your PERSONAL USE ONLY. That means that you can stitch them and have fun playing around with them, but please don't use them for any profit-making projects.

Thirdly, these Mini Mystery Monday projects are not intended to be used in any for-profit ventures such as kits, classes or teaching sessions. [For those shops that are interested in teaching stitchers about the joys of counted canvaswork, I suggest you check out the hundreds of patterns I have listed on my website - with my recent HOLIDAY ORNAMENTS SERIES 1 & 2 being the best place to start....]

Anyway, I've been enjoying creating and sharing these fun little mystery gems with all of you, and I hope you're enjoying stitching them up too!
See you again on Monday...

Mini Mystery Monday

2011-12-12T07:58:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd share a few of my finishes from Mystery #2 that might give you some additional inspiration and ideas for stitching your own combinations....

First, here's my original Mystery #2 ornament, in the traditional holiday colors, and I wanted to see if I could quickly finish it off with a simple felt backing and a blanket stitch edging (done with red #5 pearl cotton). I cut the canvas just FOUR canvas threads away from the finished stitching to get this look:

Yeah, my stitching is pretty messy... but I was stitching fast and wasn't sure how it would look, so I consider this a "practice" ornament - grin!

Then I wondered how the Mystery ornament would look if you stitched it on a darker canvas (in blues and silvers) and left out the ecru background stitches. Here's how it turned out:

Pretty cool, huh? And it just takes a few strands of ANY variegated thread you have left over, plus a few solid colors of #5 pearl cotton, and sprinkle in your favorite metallics for some sparkle! I really like this version, don't you?

And then because I wanted to create a green and gold ornament, I tried this color combo, again leaving the background stitching undone:

But it doesn't have the drama that the darker canvas version has.... so I added some background stitches around the central star - using the gold metallic ribbon. And then I thought, what the hey, I'd add a few gold seed beads, to see how that looked as well. Here's the result:

They look totally different, don't they? Yet they were all done from the same simple pattern. As you might guess, I enjoy playing around with different threads, using the same design. It has a surprise factor that's just plain fun! Why don't you whip up a few of your own color and canvas combinations, using the supplies you have on hand....

And I'll see you again next Monday.... I stumbled upon another easy peasy ornament combination that is sooooo cool, I can't wait to share it with you!

Mini Mystery #3

2011-12-12T07:37:00.000-08:00

Here's another fun and easy ornament to make before Christmas. And because there's only two Mondays left before the Big Day, I'm condensing the instructions into two lessons, so you'll have another ornament finished before Christmas!

You'll need a piece of 18 ct. mono canvas, at least 6" x 6". The finished ornament is a diamond shape that measures apprx. 3.75" by 3.75" from its tips. I used the same palette of threads as the previous ornaments, namely:
- a few strands of variegated Watercolours 047 - "Camouflage"
- DMC #5 pearl cotton 890 for the dark border
- DMC #5 pearl cotton 3685 for the accent color
- Ribbon Floss 148-047, honey/copper for the gold metallic ribbon
- and this time I added a finer gold - Kreinik #8 Braid 002HL
- AND I added some 8mm round gold beads (which you should find in any local craft store)

Okay.... find the center of your canvas and make a tiny hole with the tip of your needle for a reference point.

From that center point, create a diamond-shaped eyelet with 1 ply of your variegated Watercolours, going in EVERY OTHER HOLE, like the graph on the left:

Note that your first vertical stitch will go over 8 canvas threads, and as you proceed around the diamond shape, going in every other hole, you should go DOWN into the center hole. And as you are going through the hole, try enlarging it with your needle or by pulling on your thread when you are on the underside of the eyelet - because you'll be putting lots of stitches into that center hole and it will help to get it as large as you can.

Then, after you have your variegated stitches done, cut a piece of the finer gold Kreinik #8 Braid and stitch around the eyelet again, but this time going in every other "vacant" hole, as shown in the graph on the right side above. And then your eyelet should end up looking something like this, step-by-step:

Now create a sort of "nine patch" of those eyelets, using this graph:

Once you've got all your eyelets stitched you can move on to fill in the four remaining diamond openings. For that you'll need to use 1 strand of your #5 pearl cotton bright accent color. And you'll start by creating this star foundation shape between your eyelets, using the graph on the left:

After you have the star foundation stitched, go back and add the gold stitches with 1 strand of Ribbon Floss, as shown in the graph on the right above. And then your stars should look something like this, step-by-step:

And the overall graph for both types of eyelet motifs looks like this:

Pretty fancy looking for just a basic eyelet, huh? Notice how different the two types of eyelets look, depending on which threads you use and how you mix up the stitches... Now you could easily make an ornament with just ONE of those two eyelet motifs, and create a pattern by just alternating the thread colors from diamond to diamond... It's amazing what you can do with just a few basic stitches and lots of threads to play with!!

Anyway, I'll finish this little cutie next Monday, when we'll do two small borders and add lots of beads for maximum sparkle effect -- see you then...

Mini Mystery #2, continued

2011-12-05T08:25:00.000-08:00

We're on the homestretch on this little project, so let's move along....

The border row you are going to stitch next is a string of variegated boxes (8 x 8 threads overall) that have a metallic diamond edge around the middle, and a metallic Smyrna Star in the center. The graph for a single row stitched right up against the center block looks like this:

I stitched my model with just one row and made the boxes all the same, with red metallic diamond edges and gold metallic Smyrna Stars. But if you want to stitch TWO rows around the center block, you can alternate the metallics - in checkerboard style, so the metallic colors switch in alternating boxes.
Here are the two different metallic combinations for you to consider:

And the graph for this two-row border would look like this, and you can continue stitching the rest of it around your center block:

Which combination you choose may depend on what colors are in your variegated thread. My red metallic edges blend in to the "Holiday" variegated thread a bit too much, I think (but I do like the row of gold smyrnas marching along the edge). Maybe I should have gone with the other combination to show off the diamond edges... but sometimes you never know until you finish stitching!

And here's another quick option for a two-row border - just add some plain square "checkers" around the diamond squares - with your choice of thread color.... either the bright color metallic or even the dark border color. Here's the type of quick border I'm talking about:

Soooo, the decision you need to make right now is whether you want to stitch just one row around your block (and then your ornament will be 3.25" x 3.25") or will you stitch TWO rows around your block (then your ornament will be 4.25" x 4.25").
(And if you can come up with another combination of colors/stitches - go for it!) In either case, I recommend stitching all the variegated thread stitches first, then go back and add your metallic stitches afterwards.

Also, in the corners of your border row/s you can add the larger Rhodes Diamond done in whichever color of metallic you like best for your corners (I stitched gold ones). And if you decide to stitch two border rows, try alternating the metallic colors of your corners - it makes a very dramatic flourish to the piece....

And after you stitch your border row/s you can add the final dark border row

using your darker pearl cotton color in a simple Diagonal Satin Stitch. And again, in the corners place a metallic square - in whichever metallic color you prefer. Here's the full quarter graph of the whole ornament (use this graph to stitch the first quarter, then complete your ornament by stitching the other three parts by turning the graph to match your stitching, being sure to follow the stitch direction of your initial section):

So when all your stitching is done, your ornament should look something like mine:

And as for you beaders out there: I challenge you to find places to add a few gold beads... I didn't put them on the graphs, but I know where I'd put my beads. Where would YOU put beads on your ornament??

Next week I'll show you an idea I had to finish off my little ornament... as well as another way to stitch up this design for a surprisingly different effect. Keep stitching...and I'll see you next Monday!

Mini Mystery #2

2011-11-28T06:55:00.000-08:00

We've turned over the autumnal leaf of Thanksgiving weekend and now we're in the madcap straightaway leading up to the Holidays... Time to really get those stitching fingers busy, if you're planning to create a few last-minute gifts!

Because we all have a jillion things to do now, this next Mini Mystery is a small one, so it's fast and easy to finish. You'll need a piece of 18 ct. mono canvas that's at least 7" x 7" - any color is okay, since you'll be stitching over all of it anyway.

[PSSST: The finished size of this small ornament will be determined by the choice you make next week about your border row. If you stitch just ONE border row, your finished mini mystery project will measure approx. 3.25" x 3.25". If you stitch TWO border rows, your finished mini mystery project will measure approx. 4.25" x 4.25". But don't worry, you don't have to make any decisions now... that's for next week!]

In any event, the threads you'll need are:
- one variegated Watercolours of your choice (you'll use 1/4 of a skein or so);
- one dark color #5 pearl cotton for the border (you'll use 1/4 skein or so);
- one light color #5 pearl cotton for the background (ecru or pale hue - and just a few strands);
- one bright accent color metallic ribbon thread (1/2 skein);
- one base metal metallic ribbon threads (silver, gold, copper, etc. 1/2 skein)

And hey, if you want to use stranded floss or silk, that's perfectly fine too. And if you want to work on 24 ct. Congress Cloth, that would make them even MORE special! These mini mystery projects are very adaptable and intended for you to experiment with threads and colors.

To begin, poke a hole in the center of your canvas and then stitch this central star:

It's one of my favorite motifs - the quilter's lone star; But this one has metallic tips on the star ends, which you stitch with the bright accent color of your chosen metallic; My stitched star looks like this, using the same thread palette I used in the first Mini Mystery project:

After you have your central star stitched, fill in the middle with a big Rhodes Diamond using your base metal metallic ribbon color, so it looks like this:

And then, with your darkest #5 pearl cotton color, add the corner triangles so it looks like this:

And to complete the stitching on the central block, add the background stitches, using your ecru or lightest color of #5 pearl cotton:

Here's my central block:

But that's enough for this Monday.... Next week we'll stitch the border row around the central block. You'll have the choice of stitching one row or two, and that will change the size of your finished ornament... but more on that NEXT Monday!

New Holiday Ornaments!

2011-11-22T14:49:00.000-08:00

As promised last week, I've got a new pattern to share with you called HOLIDAY ORNAMENTS SERIES 2. Here's what the four new quilt-y ornaments look like:

I've chosen several more quilt designs that I enjoyed stitching in their larger versions - Falling Leaves, Feathered Diamonds, Missouri Star, and Cherokee Star - and made smaller, ornament-sized designs.

Here's a close-up of the Falling Leaf design:

Each ornament is approx. 4.5" by 4.5" on 18 ct. mono canvas (you can use eggshell or sandstone or any other color you prefer). And the threads I used were: Watercolours 025 "Holiday", DMC #5 pearl cottons 304 (2 skeins if you want to do all four in the series); 890 (2), ecru (2). . . as well as two metallic ribbons: YLI Ribbon Floss 144-001 (or Kreinik 1/16th 017HL) and Ribbon Floss 148-039 (or Neon Rays+22).

NOW HOLD YOUR HORSES, NELLY: before you rush over to my website to order this new pattern, let me tell you that I've spent all morning working on my website, not only adding the new data but trying to add new PAYPAL and CREDIT CARD purchasing options for all my patterns (which should make it easier for all of us), but after much teeth gnashing and hair pulling, I'm not able to publish the updated website YET - due to a slew of problems on the host site that they say will hopefully be resolved in a few days. So, after many deep breaths and a big chunk of dark chocolate, I'm trying to be patient and calm about this setback and hope you will be too. If you need to order this new HOLIDAY ORNAMENTS #2 immediately -- please give me a call or email me and we can chat about it... plus the joys of modern technology...or how many days are left for stitching holiday projects... or what your favorite brand of chocolate is - grin ....

Mini Mystery Monday

2011-11-21T08:30:00.000-08:00

Time to finish your mini mystery project...
Ready...set....go!

Here is the next step for building your outer border area:

And here's the graph for it, starting on the upper right-hand side:

You have two choices here: 1) stitch your big corner Rhodes Square right up against your existing work (upper right-hand corner shown on graph); or 2) count up/over 8 canvas threads and start diagonal satin stitching your outer border over 3 canvas threads. (I suggest working on the outer border first, because you have a few more options to consider for your final border filling that is coming up next, so just read ahead before you start stitching - grin!)

Okay, here are your two choices for filling the wide border area:

I stitched my model with the LEFT border. And after I stitched it up, I thought that the RIGHT border would be equally interesting, so I've included it here for you to consider. Here's the option I stitched:

The graph for the LEFT border looks like this (and yes, it's a partial graph, so you'll have to stitch the rest of it on your own):

And the graph for the RIGHT border looks like this:

Notice that the big Rhodes Square in the corner changes color in the above graph. I've made it gold instead of red.... you can make your squares ANY COLOR YOU WANT! But I might also tell you that making all those Rhodes Squares uses up a lot more thread, so keep that in mind. If you only have a limited amount of a certain thread, you might opt for the first border, which uses less amount of thread - although there's more metallic in that border, so keep that in mind as well.

And speaking of metallics, when you're stitching ornaments, isn't it a good idea to put as much sparkle as possible? I mean, that's what catches your eye when you hang your ornament up, isn't it? So think about how much metallic you want in your design and especially for the holidays, the more glitter the better, right??!!

And TA DA! Here's what your finished mystery ornament should look like (more or less - grin):

I hope you enjoyed working on this little design.
I'll be posting another one next Monday, so stay tuned... and keep stitching!

It's Ornament-Making Time!

2011-11-17T10:25:00.000-08:00

This weekend I'm going to the Marin Golden Threads EGA group to visit my stitching friends and teach one of my HOLIDAY ORNAMENTS, SERIES 1 designs. In preparation I've been finishing up my ornament models and this is how I've finished the first set:

As you can see, I've finished two of them as squares and turned two of them "on point". I was going to make my own twisted cable trim out of #5 pearl cottons, but found some ready-made trim at a local garage sale (I suspect it originally came from Costco) that matched perfectly, so I used that instead - how easy is that?

(And in case you're wondering... On the back of the ornaments, I've laced up the canvases over a cut piece of mat board and then hot-glued a piece of cut felt to cover the kaka mess underneath.)

And just because I wanted to see what the "shining star" design would look like in different colors, I stitched it up in fall colors (using a variegated thread I dyed myself):

It has a totally different look, doesn't it? (It reminds me of a harlequin fabric, for some reason.... ) And I found this gold braided trim sold by the yard at Joann's Fabrics. This particular design is very fun and fast to stitch up, so it didn't take any time at all to finish.

[DESIGNER ASIDE: I had so much fun finishing these ornaments, I decided to design another set of holiday ornaments for this year. Stay tuned as I reveal the next set of ornaments on my blog next week!!]

Mini Mystery Monday

2011-11-14T06:22:00.000-08:00

It's Monday again....
And here's the next element of your mystery ornament:

Which is graphed like this:

And then after you stitch all the empty blocks with this new element, your overall center area will look like this:

BUT WAIT! Before you start stitching, check this out: maybe you'd like to try a different block in that space, which is graphed like this:

And then your overall center area would end up looking like this:

Aww, shucks.... did I forget to mention that there might be some choices you can make to personalize your mystery ornament?!? (grin!) You can also switch the thread colors around, if you want to play with them as well. That's the fun of these elements -- you can "mix & match" with colors or threads or stitches and come up with a fun and original ornament of your own.

But for this Monday, YOU decide which element you want in your ornament... and maybe you can stitch up a second ornament later with the secondary element I've included, just for fun to see the difference!

[Psssst: Here's another idea for you to consider -- try stitching up just FOUR of the blocks to make a mini-ornament! With the outer border that'll you get next Monday, the finished size of a mini-ornament will be 3" by 3".... Or if you just stitch the four little blocks and add a simple diagonal satin stitch border row, you can create an even smaller ornament that's just 2.25" x 2.25", which would make a truly tiny ornament - or maybe a scissor fob??! Just another idea for you to play with - grin...]

"Mini Mystery" Monday

2011-11-07T08:00:00.000-08:00

I was playing around with a few simple stitch elements this weekend, and came up with a rather fun ornament design. It occured to me that it would be fun to create a small "mystery" project that I would run only on my blog - and only on Mondays.

So the beginning "clues" to this little mystery ornament are:

A) The finished design willl be 4" by 4" on 18 ct canvas.
B) You'll need a piece of 18 ct. canvas that is at least 7" x 7" in size - whatever color you want to use is fine.
C) For threads, you'll need: just a 1/2 skein of Watercolours; one dark color of #5 DMC pearl cotton; one medium or bright color of #5 DMC pearl cotton; and one metallic ribbon that matches your variegated thread (such as Ribbon Floss, Kreinik 1/16th Ribbon, Neon Rays+, or any other metallic ribbon that you like to use)....and yes, it's perfectly okay to use ANY combination of thread types you want to try instead of the ones I've mentioned!

Here's the thread palette I picked:

Watercolours, 047 - "Camouflage"
DMC #5 pearl cotton, 319 - dark green
DMC #5 pearl cotton, 3685 - medium garnet
YLI Ribbon Floss, 047 - honey/copper

To start this little "mystery" project, find the center of your canvas and poke a hole with your needle, for a reference point.

At the center of your canvas, stitch this motif:

So it looks like this (but in your colors):

Then repeat the motif so it looks like this:

That's all for this week.... see you next Monday for the next part of the "mini mystery."

A New Shadow Stitching Class

2011-11-04T07:35:00.000-07:00

I know the busy holiday season is rapidly approaching even as I write this, but I'm going to go ahead and offer a new cyber class that will start AFTER the new year -- on January 10, 2012. It's another shadow stitching class I'm calling "LITTLE PANSIES" and here's what it looks like:

The class will run for just four weeks and it will feature a few more shadow stitching patterns, a few fun borders, and some simple embellishment stitches. I'll be printing the 8" x 10" canvases myself, so you'll be stitching on a photographic image printed on 18 ct. mono canvas. The design size is approx. 6.5" x 6.5" and because it's a small canvas, it stitches up very fast and is darn fun to work on!

Soooo, if you're interested in signing up for a short cyber class to celebrate surviving the holidays and reaching the New Year, plus stitch up some cheerful flowers in the midst of winter, visit my website and click on the CYBER CLASS page for all the detailed information.

November Colors

2011-11-03T15:49:00.000-07:00

Now that it's November - and how did THAT happen already?!? - it's time to change the masthead on my blog. I've slipped in a partial photo of an old design (and one of the few purely "cross stitch" graphs of mine) called PUMPKIN HARVEST. (ASIDE: the photos in the mast area always mysteriously appear in a totally different crop size than the way I've actually done them, so please forgive their slightly weird look - I can't control why it does that...)

Anyway, I consider PUMPKIN HARVEST a cross stitch design, even though I stitched the model with Tent Stitches (half cross stitches) on regular tan/brown 18 ct. mono canvas. It's my favorite technique for stitching cross stitch graphs in HALF the time... (Well that's the pecular way I convince myself to do cross stitch projects, and I'm stickin' to it!)
That's not to say you have to do it my way at all... It can easily be done on your favorite cross stitch fabric, whether it's aida cloth or linen.

I always enjoy looking at this row of colorful pumpkins when I bring it out around Thanksgiving, and I thought you'd enjoy it too!

And just to add a little bit more November color to this posting, I'm closing with a few glowing photos of the pumpkins on my front porch. Enjoy!

A Magic Potion Just For You

2011-10-31T10:08:00.000-07:00

Find a very tall black hat;

Fill it with a squeaky bat.

Catch a clever shiny crow;

Gather up the pumpkins' glow.

Call your black cat home to you;

Summon up a ghost or two.

Throw in lots of special treats,
Like candy corn and lizard feets.

Simmer, bubble, stew and wait....
Then it's time to celebrate!

Need a Pile of Leaves to Play In?

2011-10-14T08:29:00.000-07:00

I had so much fun stitching up last month's LAHAINA BREEZES I decided to create a new series which plays around with this surprisingly fun patchwork/abstract/collagey/impressionistic format. And here's what I came up with for this month:

I'm calling it "TURNING LEAVES" (which is sort of a play on words as well, because it's got lots of different leaf patterns in it, and they're turning all over the place!)

Here's a section of it up close:

It was a blast to stitch and throw in every fun type of leaf pattern I could think of, plus the focal point - a swirling box of oak leaves and acorns. How fall-ish is THAT?!?!

And it uses two different Watercolours threads: 144 "Pomegranate" for the variegated oranges, plus a brand-new one 285 called "Sherwood Forest" in rich greens and browns with spots of orange. And I also put in a lot more beads than usual... I found some longer bugle beads that are a yummy variegated greenish color, so I had to add those along some smaller gold bugle beads, plus a handful of amber seed beads, as well as the larger gold ones that always stand out well on 18 ct. canvas.

If you're intrigued by this new TURNING LEAVES design, please visit my website for a more detailed thread list and other ordering particulars!

Oh, and Happy Friday, Stitchers... I hope you get lots of fun fall stitching done!

Add a Little Mystery to Your Life!

2011-09-19T12:38:00.000-07:00

In the latest issue of Needlepoint Now(Sept/Oct), there's the start of a three-part project of mine called "Triptych Mystery". Here's what the whole design looks like (since they've revealed the whole design in the magazine, I'll also share it with you here):

Each month a different square will be shown and stitchers can do the whole design, or just one block at a time, as they prefer. I've chosen favorite stitch patterns that are fun and interesting to stitch. And the 4" blocks do work up rather fast... and can make great abstract ornaments as well. (I can see them turned on point with a tassel added for a hanging ornament...or all three worked as a small banner - apprx 4" x 12".) Here's what the first installment looks like up close:

If these abstract squares intrigue you, check out the latest Needlepoint Now magazine and get started stitching!

But also please take note: the Watercolours thread used for the whole piece should be Watercolours 231 - Ethiopia (not 257 as written in the instructions). When proofing the pages I totally overlooked the thread number and the wrong one slipped by me! Rats... Sorry for the mistake, stitchers... but once you see the gorgeous purples, golds and browns of 231 Ethiopia you'll love working with it as much as I did!

Whoops!

2011-09-06T09:02:00.000-07:00

Just a little correction to make to my new LAHAINA BREEZES pattern: I listed the main Watercolours "Caribbean" as number 008 -- it should be 089. (Oh drat.... those numbers will trip me up every time!)

Sorry about that, Stitchers.
And Thank You, Sue from Kelsey's Needle Krafts for telling me about the error...

Aloha, Stitchers!

2011-09-02T07:30:00.000-07:00

Direct from my Hawaiian-print pants to you: it's LAHAINA BREEZES!

Boy, was this a fun one to stitch up! It's a 10" x 10" design that I worked up on the bright aquamarine 18 ct. canvas for a little bit of island flavor. And the patterns I chose worked up so fast and easy it was an unexpected surprise to have it all stitched up in 7 days.

Here's a close-up of some of the fun patterns:

And see at the bottom of the photo, I even snuck in a wavy row of jazzy bugle beads, for a totally different texture... plus there are some crystal beads sprinkled around the piece as well.

And here's a side shot so you can see some of the shiny Ribbon Floss stitching in the plumeria flower section, that adds an extra dimension of color and light movement to the piece:

If you're interested in sampling these LAHAINA BREEZES yourself, please visit my website for all the pattern particulars.... ALOHA AND HAPPY LABOR DAY WEEKEND, STITCHERS!!

A Little Repanelling Project

2011-08-26T13:00:00.000-07:00

Over the past few weeks I've had some nice chats with several stitchery store owners about their having classes for my ONE LONG PANEL design in particular. It's been very satisfying to know that stitchers are having fun stitching up these panel projects.... and even more satisfying to know that stitchers are expanding their own creative knowledge and confidence by changing colors and making the panel design their OWN through their color picks!

Recently I received a call from TWO THE POINT in Overland Park, Kansas. They're planning to hold a class in a few weeks and were ordering a few more patterns, since they've had more people sign up. The stitchers there are all choosing their own color combinations, so each one will be a unique surprise for the stitcher when it's done. How fun is that?

And a while ago, THREAD & EYE in London, Ontario sent me a link to see the photos from the group of stitchers who were also taking a ONE LONG PANEL class in the store. Go check out www.threadneye.com and then click on the "One Long Panel Class" listed on the right side of the website. You'll see all sorts of color combinations for this design. And each one looks totally different than the next!

Hearing from stores and stitchers about how much they are enjoying stitching my projects really gives me a boost of creative energy. I'm so glad stitchers are having fun with my pieces ... and let me tell you: it inspires me to keep on stitching and designing fun projects to share with all of you! So Thank You, Stitchers for all your interest and support for my designs. I truly, truly appreciate hearing from you all!!

A New Cyber Class

2011-08-18T17:22:00.000-07:00

Here in Northern California I'm feeling a little bit of fall in the air... a crisp morning coolness that is quickly overtaken by the deep afternoon heat... and that's gotten me thinking about which project I want to share as my next cyber class.

I've decided that HARVEST TIME is the perfect cyber project for this time of year, because it has lovely autumn colors, plus lots of small, medium and large grapes on it!

It's a 7.5" x 7.5" piece stitched on 18 ct. sandstone mono canvas with one Watercolours (047 - Camouflage) and a handful of #5 pearl cottons (in greens and burgundys) plus two different metallic ribbons (burgundy and gold). Here's a peek at it up-close, so you can see the different sizes of grapes in the piece:

If you want to read more about HARVEST TIME and maybe sign up for the up-coming class, please visit my website and click on the LJP CYBER CLASSES tab. (And if it makes you want to pour a glass of wine and contemplate the changing of the seasons, you can go ahead and do that too!)

A Stitching Journey

2011-08-15T17:52:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to announce another new quilt design for this summer: SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY. I've called it that because I wanted to revisit two of my most favorite quilting motifs and combine them in a larger, more complex design. Here are some of the flying geese triangles

and here's one of the lone star blocks...

It's a larger quilt design (12.5" x 12.5") on 18 ct. mono canvas that I decided to work on the bright aquamarine canvas (even though you don't see much of it after you've finished all the stitching). I've stitched this all in #5 pearl cottons, but it could certainly be done in stranded floss or silk, if you prefer.

And I've listed three different colorways for this design. The Blue Version (which is the model shown above and is built around 2 skeins of Watercolours 192, "Elderberry Wine") plus a Pink Version that is built around 2 skeins of Watercolours 048, "Far Horizons"

and a Red Version that is built around 2 skeins of Watercolours 008, "Nefertiti."

So many times, when I stitch something up I "see" it in other color combinations, which is why I've included the pink and red colorways as well. As much as I loved working in the cool palette of Amish-type colors, I would also love to see it stitched in warm pastels of pinks, golds and greens... not to mention the traditional primary palette of red, blue, green and gold.

If you'd like to take this SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY yourself, please visit my website for more information about ordering this pattern.
P.S.: I've started rebuilding my website with a new host, so it has a fresh new look. It's a long and tedious process, but I've started by putting on the most recent patterns and information, and of course I will continue adding stuff in the coming weeks. There are bound to be a few unforeseen glitches along the way, so I appreciate your patience while my new website is "under construction."

Inspiration Strikes!

2011-08-01T10:10:00.000-07:00

Last week, I was wearing a a pair of pants I made many years ago out of a serene batik cotton print. All day long, while I was wearing them I kept looking down at the patterns on the fabric and thought they would make a very cool stitchery design.

See what I mean?

Finally I couldn't stand it any more. I stopped what I was supposed to be doing and sat down and drafted a composition that incorporated a few of the simple fabric patterns, plus a few other motifs that would create the look and feel of a tropical Hawaiian piece.

I scanned the drawing into my Adobe Illustrator program and started working out the graph lines and project dimensions. Once satisfied with the rough layout, I pulled out a handful of blue, aqua and teal threads and started stitching.

I spent all day yesterday sitting on my covered patio stitching, while Katie snoozed on the lawn. And here's what I got done:

I intended to just get the main areas established (so I could take this project to a friend's stitch-in this coming weekend), but I had so much fun stitching each of the areas, I couldn't stop working on it and sheesh, I might have it almost finished by the time the weekend comes around! All that remains to be designed is the Hawaiian-type floral motif in the lower diamond... but no worries! I'm confident that I can create just the right flower motif to finish this piece.

(Psst: Although the photo makes it look like I'm stitching on sage green canvas, I'm really working on the brighter aquamarine canvas, so I have an aqua background on the unstitched areas...)

Anyway, I'm hoping I'll be able to complete the graph and text instructions just as quickly as I can, so I can release this design while the summer is hot and cool projects are a stitcher's necessity! Until then: "Aloha, Stitchers -- and stay cool and serene wherever you are..."

Summertime Stitching

2011-07-29T15:10:00.000-07:00

I was thinking about what stitching in the summertime means to me. Do you ever think about things like that when you are sitting quietly and stitching on your latest project?

I think about how nice it is to sit outside and stitch and listen to the birds and the outside traffic.... sipping a favorite cool drink and feel the soft summer breezes on your face while you focus on your stitching.

(Now I'm not going to mention all those pesky bugs or triple-digit heat or the phone that rings just as you get comfortable or the barking dog next door that won't shut up.... well, you know those summer irritations well enough, don't you? This is a nostalgic look at how summertime stitching is SUPPOSED to be.)

And I think about certain colors that seem "summery" to me. Now that it's "high summer" I think of bright yellows - and what could be better than pairing yellow with sky blue? Just like my SUMMER DAYS quilt design, shown above.

Or how about sunflowers? Aren't they the perfect summer flower? Tall and sturdy, big, bright and cheerful, faces always optimistically turned towards the sun... Here's another yellow quilt design of mine called SUNFLOWER STAR, which is could be a stylized version of a field of sunflowers, don't you think?

When I look at this design I imagine a group of midwest quilters working around a large quilt that depicts the farmland all around them. Maybe they're making it for a friend who's getting married soon or as a raffle quilt for the county fair.... and speaking of county fairs, what about this golden design called STATE FAIR that has lots of red/blue/gold ribbon motifs woven throughout the pattern:

(I don't know about you, but thinking about fairs makes me think about corn dogs and cotton candy and ice cold lemonade...)

But my all-time favorite summertime design is AMBER WAVES, with the rippling patterns throughout the piece in rich golds and greens and a hint of rose as well. I have this piece hanging in my hallway and when I look at it as I walk by, I remember how much I enjoyed stitching each of the patterns in this piece:

I hope when you're stitching this summer, you give some thought to what your favorite summer pieces are. Do you have them hanging in your house? Did you stitch them for friends? And what colors do YOU associate with summer? Do you crave certain colors when you pick your projects for summer? Anyway, I hope you are able to get outside and do some summertime stitching real soon!

Oh, My -- It's Christmas In July!

2011-07-18T15:56:00.001-07:00

I'm celebrating the finish of a new Christmas Tree design that I've completed far in advance of the actual holiday (which is something I'm not usually very good at) and I thought I'd share it with you early -- hence my CHRISTMAS IN JULY celebration... Woo Hoo!!
And here it is, my new CHRISTMAS TREE 2011:

I got the inspiration for the colors on this tree from a photo in a christmas magazine that had a tree with red and gold and PURPLE ornaments. And I thought, "Wow, that's different... Wouldn't that be a fun color combination to try on a stitched tree?" So I played around with some fun, big, composite patterns and just went to town. I enjoyed each of the "patchwork" patterns in this tree. Here's a few up-close:

The big ol' Rhodes Stars are all stitched with soft metallic Ribbon Floss threads (although I also list Kreinik 1/16th Ribbons). And the variegated green thread that makes up the tree body is a lovely evergreen ThreadworX Overdyed #5 Pearl (51048). It's a nice BIG tree too (finished size is 11" x 12"). With BIG hanging ornaments, like those shown at the top of the post. And at the bottom of the tree is a row of "patchwork" packages to complete the scene:

I stitched my tree on a 16" x 16" piece of 18 ct. canvas in sandstone, but you could surely stitch it on any color canvas that tickles your holiday fancy!

So.... if you're in the mood to get some holiday stitching done early, please visit my website for more information on my CHRISTMAS TREE 2011.

A New Abstract

2011-06-27T07:28:00.000-07:00

It's time to reveal my latest abstract design in the IMPRESSIONIST COLLECTION - I call it "FLUORITE FANTASY":

I was inspired to create this diamond-studded design because of a handful of favorite crystals called "fluorites" I got many years ago. They are naturally formed octahedrons in cool colors like teal and purple, and they look like this:

And when I was stitching on FLUORITE FANTASY I tried to use diamond-shaped patterns as much as possible, to reinforce the crystal's shape and form:

I've also added lots of crystal beads (which you can't really see in this photo, and in addition, I've added a few small purple jewels in the smaller diamonds - which I didn't show in this particular photo...)

And of course, in this piece I also use one of my favorite techniques: stitching the same patterns in different thread weights (thick and thin) to create the illusion of space and distance within the design:

So, if you love stitching in purples and teals, and want to create an asymetrical counted canvaswork piece, this might be a nice challenge for you! Please visit my website for more information on FLUORITE FANTASY...

Friday Flowers: Hello, Summer!

2011-06-24T11:05:00.001-07:00

I hope you're all enjoying the start of summer -- I certainly am. And I thought I'd gather a bouquet of sun-drenched flowers to share with you this Friday:

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Red, White & Blue - I Am For You!

2011-06-13T14:57:00.000-07:00

Gosh, time flies when you have your head down over scroll bars and are crazily stitching on one piece after the other! That's what I've been doing these past few weeks, so please forgive my blogging absence. I've been so focused on developing lots of new ideas, plus finishing up a few projects that I just couldn't stop to chat. Instead I've been flitting from project to project in sort of a stitching frenzy (can you relate?!?)....

Anyway, it's time to reveal my first finished summer project to you. TA DA! it's a RED, WHITE & BLUE PANEL.

I can't believe I didn't think of doing this earlier, but when I was leafing thru my notebooks for more long panel ideas, it suddenly occured to me that a red, white and blue one would be so fun to stitch up that I had to drop everything, cut a piece of canvas, pull some threads, and start stitching.

I chose three big, easy patterns that stitched up really quick and also were fun to work. (I got this piece finished inside of a week). My thinking was to get the pattern all done and released before the Fourth of July, so I'm pleased to say I've met my self-imposed deadline with time to spare!

Here's the red section up-close:

The zig zag foundation is done with a variegated red - Watercolours 219,"Cardinal" - with Rhodes Ovals done in a soft metallic Ribbon Floss and Eyelet Ovals done with a red DMc #5 pearl cotton.

Here's the white section up-close:

I chose a simple bargello wave that uses three different soft metallic Ribbon Floss colors that alternate with plain white DMC #5 pearl cotton.

And here's the blue section up-close:

There's a variegated blue star foundation that uses a new Watercolours thread - 281, "Hudson Bay" (from which I cut out about an inch of the brightest blue of the thread, to stitch with the beautiful flag blues in the rest of the threads.)

I wish you could see the actual piece, because it just sparkles all over, what with all the red, white, blue, and gold metallics used in the piece.

And what I like about having it hanging on my office wall is that it really looks good from a distance; even though there isn't any real focal point in the piece, it's interesting to realize that those red, white & blue colors ARE the focal point, and they are so emotional and evocative in and of themselves that it becomes a simple but very powerful piece to display. (Although it has occured to me that this piece would also provide a great background to embellish with American charms - maybe some large gold stars, perhaps? Another stitching friend of mine suggested to would make a great banner project as well...)

So.... if you're in the mood to do a little flag waving this Fourth of July, this RED, WHITE & BLUE PANEL might be a fun project to get you in the right spirit.... Check out my website for full pattern and ordering details.

FYI: Just to Clarify

2011-05-18T09:21:00.001-07:00

A blog reader recently asked me an interesting question about my new shadow stitching cyber class, PETUNIAS, and I thought I'd share it with you as well...
Marcy asked if my shadow stitching involves blending 2 or more thread colors in one needle, and then changing thread colors at every color change on the canvas.

My answer is: No, no, no! (That sounds like a fascinating technique, however, but way too much work for these little canvases...)

For my PETUNIAS I use 1 ply of a stranded silk and work one color over the whole flower (in this case, the center petunia). I use a slightly different color on the corner petunias (which you can see are a bit darker). The background is also worked with 1 ply of one green color. Whatever happens after that...just happens.

To me, the fun of using shadow stitching technique on these flower images is to see what happens as the thread color blends with the canvas colors underneath. Similar colors merge together; different colors start to compete with each other and create unexpected color "vibrations". For example: on the center petunia above, look at the glowing bright pink center of the upper petal near the bullions... That brightness comes from the canvas underneath, and shows through the pink thread on top.

Granted, using just one color over a detailed canvas mutes a lot of the crisp details and blurs the image overall. But it also takes on a watercolor wash over the whole piece, which is an effect I really like. Then, it's up to the stitcher to embellish whichever details you want to highlight - like the bullions in the petunia centers and the vein lines in the petals. Overall I think it looks kind of magical, don't you? (I should also mention that my challenge as a designer is to find the right images that will support this simple shadow technique. So currently, I'm looking thru my flower photos and selecting images that have lots of large areas that will work best for my one color technique.)

So...in a nutshell Marcy -- I have to say that my shadow stitching is pretty darn simple - one color per area, basically. Because, frankly, I like my stitching projects to be as fun as possible. When I started experimenting with these small flower images, I wanted to try something different, but I also wanted it to be a fast project as well. I consider these shadow stitching canvases to be fun "breather" projects that can be done quickly in-between other complex, long-term projects (and we all have plenty of those waiting to be done, don't we?).

Anyway, I hope this bit of clarification gives you more information about my PETUNIAS, and I hope it tempts you to give it a try!

Another Cyber Class

2011-05-16T08:30:00.000-07:00

I never promised you a rose garden...

but here's the other cyber class I promised you this month and I'm calling it my GARDEN GATE:

I just LOVE stitching gardens, and this one is an especially sweet little 6" x 8" project worked on 24 ct. green Congress Cloth. I really enjoyed working with a handful of subtly variegated flosses from ThreadworX that helped create a more realistic garden. If you look closely, you'll see that the lawn, bushes, and flowers are all done with those variegated threads.

In order to make the climbing roses a bit larger in scale than the rest of the french knot flowers, I chose to use Ribbon Floss for the french and bullion knots, and they really look like big fat roses! Also, the opalescent Ribbon Floss also give the roses a soft sparkle of dewdrops - a very magical and pleasing effect.

Here's a peek at the piece up-close:

And after I finished stitching all my pink roses, I realized the piece would also look terrific with pale yellow roses too -- so stitchers can choose which color they prefer to go along with their delphiniums: pink or yellow. And, I've also included a "WELCOME" script that can be added to the bottom of the design, since I thought this would make a lovely welcome sampler in any home.

I consider GARDEN GATE to be a more intermediate-level project. The stitcher needs to be comfortable working embellishment stitches (french knots, bullions, lazy daisy stitches) on top of stitched areas, as well as having the confidence to add lots of those stitches in random patterns.

Random stitching often creates anxiety in stitchers... but this is one project that DOESN'T need all the surface stitches to be precise and perfectly aligned - au contraire, mon amie! In this case, the sloppier and more irregular the better. I know it can be scary to start (there's always that fear of making terrible mistakes) but once you get started working all those knots, you start to loosen up and actually have fun with it.... (you know, it can be very freeing plopping all those bullions and french knots hither and yon, without worrying about how neat they all are!)

So, if this GARDEN GATE cyber class (which starts at the end of July) gets your garden green thumb itching to start stitching, please visit my website for more information and the class registration form.

New Cyber Class

2011-05-14T10:33:00.000-07:00

I have been busy planning some new cyber classes and finally have them ready to offer to interested stitchers. The first one I'm going to share with you today is my PETUNIAS: Shadow Stitching class.

It all began with my own curiosity about shadow stitching. What is it? How do you do it? I for one, wanted to give it a try, but didn't want to practice on a large painted canvas... so I decided to try printing up some small canvases myself, using photos I've taken of flowers in my garden. Here are a few of the canvases I've already stitched using these fun techinques:

Stitching these small canvases is soooo fun, but it just isn't possible to mass produce them for stores. Then I realized that they would be a perfect cyber class that I could offer to a select group of interested stitchers.... Stitchers, who just like me, are curious about trying out shadow stitching techniques, but don't want to experiment on larger or more expensive painted canvases.

Sooooo, PETUNIAS is the first one I'm offering up as a cyber class. It has a finished size of 6" by 6.5" and it's done on 18 ct. mono canvas with a handful of Splendor silk threads, a #5 pearl cotton for the padded borders, and a metallic ribbon that adds a bit of glitz and glamour! (By the way, I've chosen Splendor silks because DMC floss is too thin for me and I found the silk thread to have slighly better coverage. And since you use very little thread in shadow stitching, the kits will have partial skeins of silks to keep the kit costs as low as possible.)

Here are my shadow-stitched PETUNIAS for you to see up-close:

I've chosen these PETUNIAS for the first project, because there are only a few stitches to deal with in large areas, so you can get a feel for shadow stitching without worrying about too many stitch or color changes. It's a good beginning project to see if you enjoy this type of stitching or not.

And, ahem... you know how much I like to add borders to everything, so this canvas (which just has the petunia image printed on it) is embellished with a few easy borders around it. I plan to add different borders to each of these canvases and I'm busy stitching new ones even as I write this....

Anyway, the PETUNIAS cyber class (which will start in July) includes the border techniques as well, so you'll be able to finish your canvas with a few neat borders techniques.

If you're interested in signing up for this cyber class, please visit my website for complete details and order form.

P.S.: I'll be posting another cyber class announcement in a few days, so come back and visit again soon!

A New Collage

2011-05-13T10:06:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I released a new flower collage, so I pulled out a half-done project and did a bit of marathon stitching to get it completed. And here it is, my brand-new PEONY COLLAGE:

I think it's save to say I'm entering my annual pink and green phase, so stitching all these luscious patterns was very satisfying using Watercolours 248, "Primrose" and watching the pinks play out:

And after stitching all that pinkness, I thought maybe I should soften it down a bit by injecting another color, so in came the apricot ribbon and dashes of apricot sprinkled around the design as well:

So if you're a lover of all things pink and green, and in the mood for a bit of spring stitching, check out my PEONY COLLAGE on my website for more information. Also, if you happen to be in Southern California in the next few weeks, you can see my actual PEONY COLLAGE model at a trunk show at Needlepoints, Ltd. in Garden Grove, California running through mid-June.

A Bit of Brightness

2011-04-29T09:24:00.000-07:00

A bit of brightness is always welcome after a long winter, so I thought of course of daffodils. I planted a row of bulbs last year and have been enjoying them dancing in the garden...

Which made me pull out my cheerful DAFFODIL COLLAGE, one of the very first flower collages I stitched, lo, these many years past:

I'm always pleasantly surprised to re-view the stitch "swatches" I chose for my flowers and I am reminded again of how fun they were to think up and stitch. Here's one of my favorites, which is a basic box grid (stitched with a variegated thread) then you fill it with whatever fun motifs you want:

And as I was picking out patterns, I tried to use ones that looked like daffodils, with stiff outer petals with a concentrated center. Here's a favorite floral pattern that surprised me how much it looked like a patch of daffodils standing stiffly at attention:

For my other daffodil swatches, I also experimented with two blackwork patterns, and then added a bit more color within the open areas. Here's one of them, as well as the lower right block photo further down:

So, having shared my stitched DAFFODIL COLLAGE with you, I'll leave you with a real bouquet of daffodils....

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Friday Flowers: Easter Bouquet

2011-04-22T07:15:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to send you all a big bouquet of Spring flowers from my garden to celebrate the season.... so enjoy!

And of course:

Everything's Just Ducky!

2011-04-21T10:07:00.000-07:00

I've been having fun revisiting several of my favorite quilt designs and they have inspired several new designs that I'm currently working on. The latest design that I've finished and am releasing this month is one I call "DUCKS IN A POND". (If you look at the photo above, you might be able to see the four mama ducks with their four little ducklings paddling into the center of the pond.)

The colors of this quilt are very fresh and springy - apple green and sky blue. And I've decided to return to using some of the simple stitch patterns that I've used past patterns that easily replicate fabric swatches in a quilt. Here's a close-up of one of the central green quilt blocks, that shows the simplicity of the stitches:

And here's the opposite blue block with a slightly different stitch pattern in the blue "pieces":

There are also two soft metallic ribbon threads used in this piece; you can see them both in the center diamond as well as the bright corner bits.

And just to mix things up a bit and add something unexpected to the design, I created a fun zig zag border that switches background colors in each quadrant. Here it is up-close where the colors meet in the center:

The springy colors of this design make me smile every time I look at it. But you know, it would sure be fun to see it in other colors as well - any two colors that tickle your fancy would be fun to try, don't you think?

Anyway, if you're in the mood to celebrate spring (or even stitch something for Mother's Day) and you would like more information about ordering my new DUCKS IN A POND, please visit my website listed at the right.

Tip Toe Time....

2011-04-15T07:24:00.000-07:00

Are you ready for even more Spring? I am. And I thought you might like a bouquet of spring tulips to brighten your day (this is TULIPS from my Secret Garden Collection, stitched on finer 24 ct. Congress Cloth):

Nothing like a little bit of warm sunshine, pastel-colored flowers, and the tender buds of fresh green leaves to lift your spirits. (ASIDE: the pattern also has a colorway for brighter tulips, too.)

Here....take a sniff up-close...and while you're looking, see how I used the stitch's directional change to mimic the light changes on the tulip petals:

And since it's Friday, I'll close with some Friday Flower shots of the individual tulips that are currently appearing in my backyard:

Ahhhhh....Spring is definitely here to stay -- so enjoy your day!

Stitching Miss Daisy

2011-04-13T06:31:00.000-07:00

To celebrate the arrival of Spring, I thought I'd share some past spring projects of mine. The first that comes to mind is DAISY O'HARE. I was inspired to create a complex bunny figure that had LOTS of different stuff to stitch, in many different types of threads. (And sometimes, I just have to find a reason to stitch on pink canvas!)

Here's a look at her sweet face:

Her dress was fun to stitch, with lots of different threads and stitches to play with:

And the borders are filled with lots of springy stuff -- flowers of course, plus a gingham ribbon border, where you get a glimpse of the variegated silk thread in the bordering little checkers (I used Waterlilies 028, "Confetti"):

And the top and bottom borders have more Eastery stuff - more flowers, long tied bundles instead of gingham, plus little Easter eggs in each corner!

Someday I hope to stitch up a companion piece that has a boy bunny to keep Daisy company.... but until then I'll just keep stitching away at all my OTHER projects this spring...

An Old-Fashioned Garden

2011-04-08T07:33:00.000-07:00

Speaking of quilt gardens, how about my GRANDMOTHER'S GARDEN?

I've always loved those faded old quilts that have the flower-shaped blocks, usually done with scraps of old clothing or floral fabrics. This was my attempt at re-creating those beautiful old quilts - but using stitches instead of fabric!

Here's what those rounded sections look like up-close, made up of lots and lots of scotch squares, and also you can see how the variegated flowers are alternated with rows of solid color flowers:

Again, I was going for an old-fashioned feel, and used a variegated thread that reminded me of spring florals. But when I look at it now, I wonder how different it would look if it were done in bolder colors(like reds, oranges and yellows), which would definitely give it a more contemporary and purely graphic feel.

Oh, the infinite stitching possibilities!

And since it's Friday, I'll sneak in a few matching flowers to end the week...

HAPPY FLOWER-FILLED FRIDAY!

Feeling Flowery

2011-04-06T07:42:00.000-07:00

I was working in the garden most all weekend, so this week I thought I'd highlight some of my flower quilt designs that I've been reprinting and sending to shops around the country...

Here's my very first flower quilt, called FLOWER BASKET, which uses the very traditional flower basket motif. It's a simple design but very effective all the same (and it's one of only a very few of my patterns that has tent stitches in the pink background areas):

As I recall, I also stitched a small pillow from this design, working just one of the flower baskets with the scalloped border - in soft lavenders and yellows.

Here's the next flower-themed quilt I designed, called FLOWER GARDEN, because I thought the outer border looked like a picket fence with a row of flowers in front:

And then there's the ever-popular FLOWER SAMPLER, in which I decided to create an assortment of my favorite flower quilt blocks and just put them together! I used a very pastel variegated thread on this model, and as I look at it now, I think it would look so very different done in darker or bolder color combinations. It's a good pattern for experimenting with different color combos, as well as very fun to stitch, with each block being different:

This is another design that would be easy to stitch up in a smaller version - say, four of your favorite flower blocks....

Sooooo, if you haven't got spring flowers in your yard yet, maybe you'd enjoy stitch up a garden of flowers instead!

My Egg-cellent Idea

2011-04-04T21:25:00.000-07:00

You know the BARGELLO EGG I showed you a while ago? Well, today I thought I'd share with you how that design came about. I don't know if you're like me, but I'm always fascinated with HOW designs come into being. The creation of a new project always seems like such a delightful mystery, even when the step-by-step path of illumination seems obvious at times.

Anyway, a few years ago I decided to design my first bargello piece, which I called BARGELLO & ROSES:

I envisioned this design being made into a long, rectangular pillow that would show off the bullion-knot roses that run along the center of the piece. See?

I also thought that only a PART of the design could be stitched (there are notations on the pattern's main graph to that effect, if you want to try it yourself), and then inserted in a long pillow with two panels of tapestry fabric placed on either side. My Mom agreed to stitch up the bargello part of the model (while I did the bullion roses), and I thought it would be fun to see it done in yellows, like this:

(Have I sewn any of these projects into pillows yet? No. Maybe someday...)But I did hang the yellow BARGELLO & ROSES in my office and stare at it off and on for months.

Then one day, when I way looking at it from across the room, it struck me that it looked sorta like an Easter egg. Wow. Inspiration Struck. How fun would it be to make a bargello Easter egg and fill the center openings with favorite Easter treats like a bunny and flowers?

Well, I couldn't rest until I had the perfect egg shape (which, by the way, is devilishly hard to draw symmetrically by hand, but much easier to do using a computer!) and then I started filling it in with a softly rounded bargello pattern. And TA DA -- my springy BARGELLO EGG was born!

Friday Flowers: Rhododendron

2011-04-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, my parents gave me a small rhodedendron named "President Roosevelt" and I've been waiting patiently for it to bloom, so I could see what the flower looked like. Well, it's started blooming this week and it's absolutely GORGEOUS. I'm totally smitten with the flowers (and so is Katie), so I'm going to showcase it today so you can enjoy it in all it's glory, too....

Happy Friday! I hope you spend time this weekend appreciating whatever spring flowers are in your neighborhood, as well as doing some stitching...

Friday Flowers: Camellias

2011-03-25T05:32:00.001-07:00

It's been a long time since I posted some Friday Flowers, so I thought I'd celebrate the first week of Spring by showing off some of the camellias that have been blooming in my garden. I'm fascinated not only by their delicious colors, but as I look closer and closer within each flower, I'm drawn to their petal patterns - how each flower unfurls and often reveals a symmetrical design.... (pssst: if you want to really see each flower up-close, click on each flower, to enlarge them one by one.)

HAPPY FRIDAY, EVERYONE!

The Egg-xact List

2011-03-22T10:10:00.000-07:00

For those stitchers who are ordering my latest BARGELLO EGG and would like to get stitching on it as soon as possible, here is the exact materials list so you can order the threads and have everything ready to go as soon as the pattern arrives:

13" x 16" 18 ct. mono canvas, in white (or any other color you want to try, and if you get a fancy type of canvas - like the ecru with gold bits or white with opal bits you wouldn't have to even stitch a background around the egg - just a time-saving thought...)

Caron Watercolours 270 - "Easter Egg"

DMC #5 pearl cottons (1 skein each): 209, 435, 605, 604, 744, 745, 989, 3348

YLI Ribbon Floss 148-048 (which is a very soft ecru and gold metallic)
[A similar Kreinik thread would be Kreinik 1/16th RIBBON in 5555 or 9100]
[Also, if you want to use a brighter, truer gold metallic ribbon, use Ribbon Floss 148-021 or Kreinik 1/16th Ribbon 210.]

And for the background, I used Rainbow Gallery's Hi-lights H623 (which is very fragile, I must admit, so for a sturdier thread, use Kreinik #4 or #8 Braid 9100 or 091 - both pale yellow)

Also, here are the different design dimensions, so you can be thinking about which finished design size you prefer:

Just the Egg design size is 9" high by 7.5" wide, so if you have a 3" border around the egg, you need a canvas at least 13" by 16".

Egg with a 1" background surround area has a design size of 11" high by 9" wide, so you need a canvas at least 13" by 16" all the same....

Okay, all you happy stitchers, let's get hoppin' on all those Springy projects!

Celebrate Spring!

2011-03-21T07:33:00.000-07:00

Here in Northern California, we're being deluged by lots of rain. That hasn't stopped the daffodils and camellias from blooming though.

To celebrate Spring this year, I got stitching with pastel threads early and was able to finish a new pattern called BARGELLO EGG before Easter arrives! Woo Hoo! Here it is:

It's a LARGE egg -- 7.5" x 9" -- on 18 ct. mono canvas. I stitched it on plain white canvas (something I haven't done in a long while) but it could also be stitched on eggshell, any of the pastel colors, or even the white with opal sparkles canvas....

(Psst: The actual colors of this piece are slightly softer and more muted - true pastels. For some reason, my scanner insists on brightening pastel colors and I can't get it adjusted to match the original. But trust me, the real egg is softly pastel!)

It uses one skein of a new Caron Watercolours color - 270, "Easter Egg" (and how appropriate is that?!?) with a luscious handful of springtime pearl cottons, as well as a very soft metallic Ribbon Floss. I've included an optional background pattern (that looks like rows of little eggs) which I stitched in a soft Hi-lights thread. If you want to make a stand-up egg you wouldn't need to stitch the background... or if you wanted to make a pillow and add a real ribbon bow on the top of the egg, you might want to use another background thread that isn't so fragile.

In any event, here's an up-close look at the spring motifs that run along the center of the egg (they were very fun to stitch):

And as an added bonus, I've included a smaller Easter egg pattern (3.5" x 4.5")that could be whipped up as a matching ornament as well.

If you've had enough of winter and dark colors, you may be ready to hop into Spring with a new pattern.... so check out my website for more information on my new BARGELLO EGG.

Time for Chocolate!

2011-03-04T09:52:00.000-08:00

Are you in the mood to stitch something yummy?

If so.... have I got the project for you!

It's my newest quilt design called "BOX OF CHOCOLATES" and boy, is it delicious:

The inspiration for this piece was actually a photo I saw in a magazine for a pillow that had lots of pink circles on a chocolate-colored background. It reminded me that I had a skein of Watercolours' 081, "Black Cherry" that I'd wanted to use in a quilt of some kind. Then I flashed on a box of chocolate-covered cherries - and VOILA - a new project was born!

The trick was to create the illusion of round candies in a box, using the geometric grid of needlepoint canvas. I modified a geometric circle so it looked sorta like a round dark chocolate-covered cherry (squint and use your imagination a bit, and you'll see the cherry center, the layer of juice, the fudgey gooey layer, coated with the dark chocolate cover - YUM!). Then I decided to add some square-ish milk chocolate-covered raspberry truffles between the cherry motifs.... and what the heck, why not throw in a ripply border of strawberry cream (pretend those round dots are bits of strawberry, okay?) Here's a close-up of a section of the design:

And to create the fancy chocolate box effect, I added a handful of over-the-top striped metallic borders and finished with a scalloped edging that brings to mind a romantic, lacy candy box. Is your mouth watering yet?!?

Well, mine was, while I was stitching up this design.... I enjoyed every minute of this project. All of the candies were fun to work: they all have Waffle Stitch or Rhodes Star centers done in Ribbon Floss metallics, so there's a LOT of flash and sparkle in this piece. And the scalloped border was especially fun, since I think it's nice to do something besides a straight ol' border now and again!

And while I love the pink and chocolate color combo, the pattern also gives a rich red and chocolate version, (for all you red lovers out there!)

The pattern also contains an additional smaller pattern for a little matching box of chocolates that would be super cute as a mini-ornament or gift for a chocolate-loving friend....

Anyway, if you're craving a really sweet new project, check out my new BOX OF CHOCOLATES, available on my website now.

My Next Cyber Class

2011-02-20T08:03:00.000-08:00

Had enough of winter?

Ready for a little whiff of spring?

Why not join me in creating a small floral tapestry called "LILAC TIME" that celebrates one of the most-beloved flowers of spring:

LILAC TIME is 7.5" x 7.5" on 18 ct. mono canvas in Santa Fe sage green. The thread palette combines Watercolours 064 - "Pale Lilac" with a handful of DMC #5 pearl cottons, floss, floche, and metallic Ribbon Flosses.

Framed within a sparking border, is a pastel lattice with lots of lilacs of all sizes - small, medium and large! You know I love flowers, and one of my personal challenges as a designer is to create my favorite flowers using stitches and threads that I love. I think LILAC TIME captures those romantic lavender flowers extremely well (and I fancy I can smell those fragrant lilacs every time I look at it - even in the middle of winter!)

(I might also mention that I have designed several floral pieces using this same size, format, and layout - all with the double borders, the watercolory lattice, and the floral tapestry with several sizes of the same flower. I haven't released them to the public at large, and I intend to offer all of them as Cyber Classes throughout the rest of the year. Other designs in this floral series include Summer Daisies, Golden California Poppies, and Grape Harvest.)

The registration period for LILAC TIME starts now and runs through March 20th. I expect the cyber class to begin April 20, 2011 and it should run about four weeks.

LILAC TIME is not a particularly difficult project, and the stitches are easy to do, but the precise arrangement of stitch sequences within a small space can be a bit confusing to a true beginner, so I have to rate this project as an advanced beginner-to-slightly-intermediate piece. It is certainly helpful to have some experience stitching on canvas (we will be working on 18 ct. mono canvas) and it is, of course, essential to have a familiarity with counting and stitching from a counted canvaswork graph.

If you love lilacs and are interested in joining this cyber class, please visit my website (listed on the right side in BOLDED LETTERS) and click on the LJP CYBER CLASSES menu at the top of the website.

Photo Finishes!

2011-02-19T08:50:00.000-08:00

Recently, my first cyber class came to an end, and stitchers sent photos of their finished CORSAGE pieces. I though you might enjoy seeing the variety of finished pieces as well.

JoAnn Shepherd of Burke, VA gets the "fastest stitcher" award, for finishing her red version first... (her motivation was that she is entering it in the Woodlawn show held later this season):

Edy Fenster in New York City finished her orange version in record time.
Don't her orange colors give the piece a fall feel?

JC Reft of Chicago, IL shows us the turquoise version,and decided to add more more greens to her piece:

And Kathleen Klein of Tustin, CA really made some changes! How lovely is her salmony pink version?? And don't you just love the way she stitched her center flower?

Barbi Sherman in Arizona decided to go with a TOTALLY different Springy spin for her CORSAGE, with pinks and purples:

And here's the purely purple version, done by Barbara Ward of Knoxville, TN:

Great job, everyone! And again, thank you, CORSAGE STITCHERS, for taking the class!

True Blue Monday

2011-02-14T14:06:00.000-08:00

Last week I was showing you some of my old - and new - quilt designs. Judy H. of POSSIBILITIES! wrote me to say how much my quilts really looked like miniature fabric quilts. Thank you, Judy!

Which reminded me of the days when I would go to local quilt shows and set up my display of threads, canvases and quilt models. I can't TELL you how many times women walking past the booth would think my stitched quilts were actually done with itty bitty fabric pieces. And then, when they got up closer to the quilts they were stunned to realize they were actually stitched! Wasn't it HARD? they asked. How did I see the canvas? I told them it was much easier to get crisp even edges on a geometric grid of canvas than working with pieces of fabric. And often times I would get them to buy an easy pattern and try it themselves. I hope over the years I got a few of those quilters re-interested in stitching and doing needlepoint again!

Thinking about my range of quilt designs got me thinking again about one of my most favorite designs: COLOR STUDY: FLYING GEESE. I just loved this design, and actually stitched it twice - because I needed two models at the time and also because it was so fun to stitch! Possibly it was the luscious blue/green/purple colorway that I loved, combined with the always classic geese pattern. (I don't know what it is about those simple triangles - but I just LOVE stitching them and never seem to tire of them in a quilt design!)And a row of those triangles always make me think of this:

This was also the first quilt design that I decided to add a few easy stitches to see if I could replicate fabric swatches - and branch out from that tried and true diagonal satin stitch that my other designs use almost exclusively.

This was also the first design that I decided to incorporate DMC floss as the background thread.... just to break away from using #5 pearl cotton all the time. I must say I enjoyed the thread change because it was easier on the fingers to stitch (although the floss plies had to be separated and recombined to lay flat, and a laying tool was needed for the floss, unlike good old pearl cotton!)

Anyway, looking back at this favorite quilt design makes me want to design some more in this vein, since it's been a while since I've done one... so I'm going to get out my sketch pad now and start doodling!

My Affair With Stars, continued...

2011-02-07T07:07:00.000-08:00

As I was saying the other day.... I think it's time to tinker around with some of those traditional quilt star blocks, and make a few new comtemporary "art quilt" designs. I've already started in that vein with my favorite STARRY NIGHT design from a few years ago. Here it is in all its complex and colorful glory:

More recently, I came up with the wildly colorful RED HOT PEPPERS quilt design that makes me smile every time I look at it:

Well, I've been staring at that design on my wall for a few months now, and after watching the amazing pictures of snowy weather all over the country this winter, I thought it'd be appropriate to create a new "art quilt" that updates the old LONE STAR motif, but adds a bit more pizazz to the mix.

So this month's new design offering is a WINTER SKY quilt pattern in tealy blues and orchidy purples that is, I've gotta say, WAY COOL:

It's a larger size than my first little lone stars: 10" x 10" on french blue 18 ct. canvas. It also uses two different Watercolours: 192, "Elderberry Wine" for the multi-color bits, and 160, "Night Sky" for the subtle variegated blue border area. I've also sneaked in a bit of glitz with a touch of purple Ribbon Floss amongst the rest of the #5 pearl cotton colors. Here's a close-up of the star block (and the actual colors are a bit darker than my scanner is showing in the photos):

When I start stitching on a new one of these quilt designs, I always amaze myself again and again with how much FUN they are to stitch. They really do make great "no-brainer" projects in-between more complex stitching projects (and I really don't mind stitchers saying that they're "no-brainers" 'cuz that's exactly what I've designed them to be - grin!)

So, if you're interested in whipping up a few artsy-type stars to while a way a cold winter's night -- check out my new WINTER SKY pattern on my website (listed on the list at the right in bold letters.) It's a fun one!

My Affair With Stars

2011-02-04T09:33:00.000-08:00

Many, many years ago, when I was living up in the Gold Country of California (in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mtns, where gold was first discovered) I went into the local stitchery store in Grass Valley. There on the floor beneath a table was a basket of the very first Caron Collection Watercolours threads. I was immediately drawn to them and fascinated by their variegated colors.

I asked the store owner if there were any patterns available that used this new thread and she said no, there weren't. But I was so intrigued that I bought a few skeins and went home with them.

As I fondled these luscious threads, I wondered what I could stitch that would really show off the colors of the hand-painted threads. Because I was into quilts at the time, I decided to use some very traditional quilt patterns to try out the threads. The very first one I stitched was a small (6.5" x 6.5") Miniature Lone Star design:

Followed closely by Miniature Bear Claw and Miniature Wild Geese:

I was starting to get addicted to this new thread, so I designed a little bit bigger quilts (8.5" x 8.5") using the same classic patterns. Here's my Lone Star:

By now, I was thoroughly fascinated by the way the colors were revealed as you stitched. And I realized that quilt patterns were the perfect medium to show off the colors of the hand-painted threads.

Well, one day the store owner asked if she could sell a few of my designs. After a while she ordered a few more.... Then a customer who bought one, stitched it up and took it down to a larger stitchery store in Sacramento (the beloved FUZZY PENGUIN) to get it framed. The owner there asked about the design and soon contacted me about providing HER store with designs. Which I was certainly happy to do.

A little bit later, I was asked to be a part of the FUZZY PENGUIN'S large booth at the old Cross Stitch Festivals that were then held in Sacramento. There I met lots of stitchers as interested in stitching as I was. What a revelation! And somewhere along the line, someone suggested I send my designs to Nordic Needle to see if they would be interested in carrying them... and the rest - as they say - is history!

This is my long and winding way of telling you that I've had a fond and special relationship those quilt block stars for a long, long time. And recently, it occured to me that those very first old designs (that people still order now and then) will always be classics, but maybe it would be fun to re-visit them and see what I could do to give them a little bit of an updating. After years of focusing on very traditional styles of quilt blocks, I think it's time to give them a more contemporary "art quilt" look.

TO BE CONTINUED NEXT TIME.....

WHO-DONE-IT??

2011-02-03T05:50:00.000-08:00

Last week I decided to enjoy a leisurely breakfast while perusing the latest issue of my favorite needlepoint magazine, NEEDLEPOINT NOW. Imagine my surprise when I turned a page and found one of my old freebie designs staring up at me in an ad, available in a kit!

Here's the design I'm talking about, and I'm sure you may recognize it because it was also on the cover of the May 2010 ANG Needle Pointers magazine, and you might actually have stitched it up yourself at one time:

I did a double take -- how had this happened without me knowing about it?? And stranger still, why did my design, called "This Heart's For You" have a different designer's name attached to it? Someone named Pat Mazu.... Stranger and stranger!

Breakfast forgotten, I got on the computer first to try and locate designer Pat Mazu, who turns out to live in Indiana. Much later that morning, I finally got to talk to Pat and here's what I found out: she had NO IDEA how her name had gotten attached to my design. She have never seen it before, and was as stumped as I was as to how the her name had gotten involved in the ad. Hmmmm, more detective work was needed! Pat agreed to call the magazine and I agreed to call the store that posted the ad, and we would meet again later to discuss our findings....

After many phone calls to and fro, here's what we were able to find out: first, every bit of content in NEEDLEPOINT NOW is sent back to their contributors and advertisers to proofread and authorize before it is published, so they do everything that's possible to make sure their information is correct; second, at the time the ad was placed, the store owner was in the midst of moving her store AND undergoing emergency surgery, so, needless to say, she was a tad overwhelmed and a few things may have gotten overlooked; thirdly, the store owner assured me that my design was NOT being copied and included in their thread kits (which would be a copyright infringement) and when stitchers inquired about the design, they were told to visit my website and print out the pattern from my "free patterns" page.

So, by the end of this long and unexpected day, I had learned a few new and valuable things that I would like to share with you, dear stitcher....

FIRST OF ALL: I met another designer named Pat Mazu, who was extremely nice, very professional and wonderful to talk to. Please know that she is completely innocent and blameless in this ad mix-up. She was as eager as I was to get to the bottom of this mystery, and when all is said and done, not only did we solve the mystery together, but I feel as if I've made a new friend in Pat!

SECONDLY: I was very glad and relieved to know that the error in the ad was not deliberate, but rather a plain ol' unintentional mistake. And you know... that happens now and again, to all of us at one time or other, since no human on earth is perfect.

And THIRDLY: I would ask all you stitchers out there, when you are visiting your local stitchery stores to double-check that "freebie" patterns are indeed distributed free to you stitchers. Those free charts are my gift to you and you alone, and while I give my permission for them to be taught in free guild meetings, they are not intended to be resold in any way, shape or form.

And LASTLY: it's always good to pause and remember that the relationship that exists between stitchery store, teacher, designer, stitcher and let's add stitchery magazine here too, is a very close and special one. Not one of us by ourselves can exist without all the others. When you think about it, we're all part of one big stitching family. And while we may never meet each other face to face, we all share a common bond and love (and dare I say it, OBSESSION?) for stitching. So at the end of the day, what I say is: LONG MAY WE ALL PROSPER!!!

Show And Tell Time

2011-01-28T07:48:00.000-08:00

This week I received a few emails from stitchers showing off their finished LJP Design projects, and I thought you'd enjoy seeing them too.

Here's my CHRISTMAS FOREST blackwork pattern, stitched up by Joyce DeMattei in California. Instead of framing her piece, she had it finished as a banner or mini-tapestry hanging. Isn't that clever? I would have never thought of doing that, but I sure like the look of it!

And Susan Allanson, also from California, sent these photos of the four pieces she stitched from my "Playing With Borders" series published in NEEDLEPOINT NOW magazine last year:

I LOVE the way these are all finished, with matching cording to boot! All of these pieces are apprx. 6" x 6" in finished size, so they'll look awfully cute hanging from a drawer pull or doornob, don't you think?

GREAT JOB, STITCHERS!!!
And thanks so much for sharing your work to inspire all of us!

A Little Post-Holiday Stitching

2011-01-26T13:04:00.000-08:00

After the hustle and bustle of the holidays, I'm usually still in a Christmasy mood and want to keep working in those cheerful red and green colors. So as a relief from working on larger pieces, I decided to to whip out a few Prairie Schooler ornaments - just for fun...

I stitched all of these designs with plain ol' DMC floss on 18 ct. mono canvas, so that made stitching them up all the quicker!

And I have to say, the fact that they stitched up so fast (it took me 1-2 days for each of them, under no kind of time or stitching pressure) was an additional delight. As any stitcher knows, instant stitching gratification is ALWAYS a welcome treat!

And while I love all these ornaments, I must confess that this one is my very favorite:

I'll worry about making their rustic twig frames later... for now, I'll just go back to finding something else that's fast and fun to stitch!

Rise And Shine!

2011-01-25T09:36:00.000-08:00

I was rotating some of my stitchery stuff on the walls around the house and decided to bring this old blackwork ROOSTER WEATHERVANE out to enjoy for awhile.

One of the great things about blackwork is you don't usually need much in the way of thread. This large project (apprx. 10" by 10") used just one skein of DMC floss, one skein of a rust-colored Kreinik Blending Filament and one skein of #5 pearl cotton (for the couched outline). Here's the rooster head up-close so you can see the subtle sparkle in the stitch patterns:

And while I love blackwork, I have a hard time finding just the right images to use to showcase the different blackwork stitch patterns. I think blackwork requires large chunks of space to fill - to show off the dazzling patternwork. I think you need to see the repeats of each pattern to get a really good look at all the different stitch patterns. So I try to think of things that have lots of big areas to fill. I remember I had fun choosing the rooster's different patterns and trying to find ones that suggested feathers. This photo of the rooster's body shows how well the different patterns look against each other:

The way I learned to do blackwork (from class lessons at a now-vanished stitching store in the Bay Area) was to DRAW the line drawing on the fabric (taping your drawing and fabric up on a window, then using a water-soluable pen that would be erased at the end) and then just start stitching the geometric repeats in each section. You only had to refer to a graph when you started stitching each pattern. After you had the pattern started on your fabric, you didn't need the graphs anymore, so you could stitch freely from then on.

I stitched this design many years ago, and now when I look at it I think it would sure look terrific stitched with a variegated thread of rusty browns. How antiquey THAT would look!

BRRRRRRRRR!

2011-01-10T09:29:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Winter, Stitchers!

Is it cold and blustery where you are?
Are you cozy at home, with a warm drink close at hand and your stitchery projects clustered around you?
I certainly am.

This morning, I thought I'd take a look thru my design collection and find whatever patterns have a wintery theme to them. Here's the first one that came to mind, a quilt pattern called SNOWFLAKE STAR:

Here's a close-up of the snowflake blocks, with just a hint of icy sparkle in the little white squares (which doesn't show up in the photos, alas):

Here's another design I think of as wintry, and it's an Impressionist Collection piece called POLARIS:

I designed this with the bright night sky in mind, with the silvery rays coming off the large center star. This always strikes me as a cooler, more masculine abstract than most of my other designs in this series. (Although I must tell you that one stitcher commented to me that this piece reminded her of busy freeways - and I can see what she means - can you?)

Stay warm and as always - keep stitching, too!

Silver Stars

2010-12-22T07:51:00.000-08:00

A while ago I shared with you the information about NATURE'S PALETTE, a home-based business out of Houston, Texas that hand-paints canvases for stitchers. (FYI: You can email them at GIMMIES@comcast.net for canvas info.) Well, they send me some yummy canvases to play with and this is the first thing I've stitched up:

I've quickly stitched up one of my new HOLIDAY ORNAMENTS on a 10" x 10" piece of 18 ct. "Silver Flash" canvas.

The canvas is medium blue with splashes of silver, so it has the loveliest of shimmers throughout the design. It was really fun to stitch up my little Shining Star in blues and silvers, and not have to worry about the background. Then, just to show off more of the canvas, I added a simple star border (in silver Ribbon Floss) around the edge, and VOILA! Project completed!

And while we're talking about stars, here's another small Shining Star canvas I stitched up many years ago (before the HOLIDAY ORNAMENTS pattern was born) using pastel blues and pinks and silvers:

So, if you're a star fan like me, get out some of those shiny, shimmery star designs and get stitching -- it will definitely put you in the holiday spirit!

I Need a Little Christmas

2010-12-20T08:28:00.000-08:00

It's time to bring out the unfinished projects from Christmases past.... And here are the ones I pulled out this year:

This is my EASY PEASY piece -- a big ol' holiday stocking that I'm gonna stitch as a banner instead. It's painted on 13 ct. canvas, and BOY, is that fun to stitch on after working on 18 ct and 24 ct all year long!! (I'm gonna look for more designs on 13 ct to add to my stash - that's an upcoming New Year's resolution.) I've stitched the reindeer in Very Velvet, just for fun... and I might just do the santas in Very Velvet, too.

And here's another oldie but goodie project:

(The blogsite insists on turning this photo on its side - I don't know why...sorry.)
This project is from an old, old cross-stitch pattern called "Winter 1890" which my Mom brought me from one of their trips back East many, many years ago. I've always loved this design, but decided to stitch it on 18 ct canvas instead of evenweave fabric. I chose the white with opal sparkles type of canvas, so the exposed canvas would look like snow. And it does. Here's a close-up (turned sideways!):

I'm enjoying stitching this is simple Tent Stitch - no fuss, no muss on this old project. It would really be nice to get it done this year, but I'm not going to worry about it.... just enjoy the process...

Ooops!

2010-12-09T14:26:00.001-08:00

Holiday Pattern Update: In my rush to get the HOLIDAY ORNAMENT pattern out, I missed a rather large typo on the Materials page. A lovely stitcher, Karen from Wisconsin (who I was totally amazed to learn has every single one of my patterns in her stash - GASP!) called to order the new pattern and tell me I had mistakenly listed the wrong red color. Oh, reindeer poop. Sorry about that, you all....

So, Merry Stitchers, if you're planning on getting the new HOLIDAY ORNAMENT pattern and are already pulling the threads for it, get DMC #5 pearl cotton red color 304 - not 302, which doesn't exist, by the way.....

And now we will return to our previously scheduled stitching project, or two, or three as that big jolly seasonal deadline looms closer and closer....

Fast AND Festive!

2010-12-09T07:35:00.000-08:00

Last year around this time, I confessed that I had been working on some small quilty-looking holiday ornaments. I even had a few stitchers email me this year about when they were going to be available. Well, TA DA! I've finished the pattern that has four smaller quilt designs that are perfect for a fast and festive project. It's called HOLIDAY ORNAMENTS, Series 1.... Here they are:

As usual, the photos just don't do justice to all the shimmer and glitter of these guys (and wow, how that Ribbon Floss pops in these ornaments! Ya just gotta stitch these up to see what I mean - 'cuz they use both red and gold metallics...)

I've stitched the models in the more traditional holiday colors (using Watercolours 025 - Holiday), but I also include thread colors for a more muted Victorian Christmas version (using Watercolours 047 - Camouflage) as well as threads for a blue and gold Chanukah version (using Watercolours 160 - Night Sky). But, hey, they'd also be fun to stitch in ANY other color combo you've got a hankering to try!

Originally, I thought these quilt blocks would be fun to stitch up as individual ornaments, but now that I've been looking at them in my office, I can also see them inset into small pillows; all four stitched close together (with 4-6 threads between) as one large square holiday design - like the first photo demonstrates; or even stitched in a long row to create a small banner or bell pull.

The ornaments all measure 4.5" x 4.5" on 18 ct. mono canvas. I used eggshell canvas, but any other color would work, too. Sooooo, if these cute little projects ring your bells, just visit my website for more information on these HOLIDAY ORNAMENTS. Ho, Ho, Ho!!

And P.S.: If you're wondering whether my naming this pattern "Series 1" means they'll be more -- you're right. I'm thinking that another four ornament designs are a definite possibility for NEXT year.... Stay tuned, Stitchers!!

Luscious Canvases

2010-12-02T08:51:00.000-08:00

Recently, I had the nicest talk with Marti from NATURE'S PALETTE in Houston, TX. Marti called me to tell me about her canvas painting business. After years of being a needlepoint canvas painter, Marti and her partner Nancy decided to create a line of colored canvases that provide the most unbelievably luscious backgrounds for all sorts of counted canvaswork.

They graciously sent me a ring of her colored canvas samples and I've been oogling them ever since. They are all so lovely I'm having a hard time deciding which ones I like the very best (all of them are terrific, by the way). The colors are grouped in the following categories: SOLIDS, with colors like "Grape Juice" and "Lemonade"; PREMIUM, which are vibrant solid colors with opalescent glitter (great for holiday ornaments) and some are mottled like "Silver Flash" and "Gold Flash"; and CUSTOM colors, which are softly variegated like "Flamingo Bay" or "Caribbean Waters" and others are speckled like "Pumpkin Patch" or "Latte" (both perfect for Halloween ormaments).

Here's another peek at some of the samples that I had to smush onto my scanner bed so I could show you these great canvas colors:

Frankly, all I can say is: "Yum, Yum, Yum..."

Marti and her partner Nancy hand-paint all the canvas pieces themselves, which they cut in standard sizes of 10"x10" or 20"x20" before painting. Marti says the canvas colors are totally permanent and perfect for showcasing a spectacular counted canvas design. They are also available to paint your own custom color requests, in whatever size you need.

If these gorgeous hand-painted canvases intrigue you and get you excited/drooling about all the infinite possibilities of working on painted backgrounds... or if you have a special project that needs a really unique canvas, you can email Marti and Nancy directly for more information on their exciting canvas line of NATURE'S PALETTE. their email address is: GIMMIES@comcast.net.

New November Piece

2010-11-22T09:53:00.000-08:00

Remember a few months ago when I revealed my ONE LONG PANEL and said I'd be doing a series of long panels? Well, I've finished the next one, which I'm calling LONG AUTUMN PANEL. Here it is:

I found the novelty of working on a long rectangular piece very fun and quite a relief from the usual "square designs" and as I was eager to see the patterns unfold, it worked up very quickly. And because it's such a long piece (finished size: 4.5" x 16") and hard to see from the full view, I'll zoom in a little closer and show you the parts of it up-close:

I've chosen another set of fun and easy stitch patterns to use in this design and the colors are especially yummy and what I consider very Novembery (with Caron Watercolours 231 - "Ethiopia".) And like the first panel, I've chosen to stitch it on the brown or tan colored mono canvas, to give it a richer appearance.

I've also suggested another autumnal colorway on the pattern, if you would prefer to do this design in ORANGE AND TEALS. And of course, if you want to pick totally different colors, I give you the suggested thread types for doing that as well.

If you're interested in trying out one of these fast and fun panels, please visit my website: www.laurajperindesign.tripod.com and see what's available!

Colors of the Harvest

2010-11-19T07:30:00.000-08:00

Instead of my usual Friday Flowers, I wanted to share with you some of the spectacular vineyard colors that are carpeting the hills of Northern Sonoma County this autumn. Literally in every direction that you look around here you see all these amazing fall colors, as the wineries in the area gather up their grapes and are now in the midst of their "crush" season...

Cloverdale is at the northern-most edge of Somona County, and just a little way up Hwy 101 you cross into Mendocino County, where there are vineyards, too:

In the hills above Cloverdale, I've been fascinated by the vineyards that, seen from a distance, remind me of pieces of variegated corderoy:

I stopped along a Cloverdale road this week and took these photos, starting up close and then panning outwards to the larger panorama...

And here's a view looking southeast, towards what I think is Geyser Peak (since Geyser Peak Winery is just below it along the highway in Geyserville).

And would you believe that after a day of taking shots of golds and oranges and reds, the evening sky decided to give the vineyards a little competition by ending the day with this blood-red sunset:

May your weekend be filled with dazzling Fall colors - wherever you live!

It's a Start!

2010-11-17T07:52:00.000-08:00

Remember that PRAIRIE SCHOOLER alphabet project I showed you a while back?

Well, I'm happy to report that I have two more letters finished: H and I.

My mini-goal for this past weekend was to get the I IS FOR INDIAN CORN finished in time for Thanksgiving next week. And I'm pleased to report that I met my goal:

As you can see from the up-close photo, I "cheated" a bit by stitching the corn leaves in long straight stitches. I wanted to get them done quickly and thought they'd look okay for the corn stalks. Hey, it works for me!

I was so happy to have the Indian finished, because that means I can start on the next three letters: D, E and F, on the left side of the same row.

Is there anything more fun than starting a new project? Which is why it occured to me while I was finishing the Indian, that this alphabet project is the perfect project for someone like me who is always struggling with a severe case of "STARTITIS" ... (and for those stitchers who have the same disease, you can certainly relate, can't you?!?)

Within this large alphabet layout, I can approach the start of each letter/block as a separate project ... how fun is that?

Soooo, I've gotta run now -- I'm off to start F IS FOR FRIEND, and can't wait to begin an exciting new block for my growing collection of alphabet letters.....

An Oldie But Goodie

2010-11-15T09:05:00.000-08:00

Recently, a stitcher contacted me about seeing an old quilt design of mine on someone's stitching blog. It was called SUNSHINE AND SHADOW.... and was it still available?

Here's the design she was referring to:

I created this pattern many, many years ago - it was one of the very first quilt designs that I stitched. And really, it was one of my favorites to stitch as well.
It's a 10" x 10" design stitched on 18 ct. mono canvas. But frankly, it never really sold very well, so later when I created my website, I didn't include it in my AMERICAN QUILT COLLECTION.

So imagine my surprise (and delight) when a stitcher in England enquired about it and asked if it was still available. I told her that yes indeed it IS still available and I've just printed out a copy to send to her.

Because her request made me look at it again, I thought I'd share it with you as well. It's different from all my other quilt designs because it's worked primarily in Tent Stitch (or Basketweave, which is really what I used). The variegated checker boxes alternate with squares of black Scotch Stitches. Lots of repetitive stitches and rather tedious.... BUT, I found the stitching relaxing and fun, and I really enjoyed seeing the surprising appearance of the variegated squares, since each one turned out differently, giving the whole piece a subtle feeling of real sunshine and shadow.

Here's a look at it up close, so you can see the easy stitches I used:

There are four different colors used in this piece, and I suggest four different colorways (all using Caron Watercolours) in Rainbow, Pastel, Amish, or Lavender options. Or you could pick out your own and surprise yourself as you stitch. (I'm seeing an orange and purple version that might be fun as a Halloween project.)

Anyway, this classic SUNSHINE AND SHADOW quilt design is still available from me (even tho it's not currently on my website), so if you're ever interested in stitching it up, drop me a line!

Still Stitching....

2010-11-05T07:35:00.000-07:00

Here's another "FUN" project I've been working on as the mood hits (and my eyes aren't too tired). It's The Prairie Schooler's set of alphabet letters.

The leaflets show these designs stitched individually on 18 ct. fabric, but I'm stitching them en masse, and on 24 ct. Congress Cloth. As the photo above shows, this project requires a really long set of scroll bars. In order to figure out the size of the overall piece, I calculated the size of each design on 24 ct. canvas, then cut pieces of paper to fit. Then I rearranged the paper pieces until I had a suitable arrangement for all of the alphabet letters.

I decided to have A, B, and C centered on the top row, and then there will be four more rows of six blocks - to make 27 blocks in all (the patterns have all 26 alphabet letters plus one extra block.) I forget the overall dimensions of my layout, but it's gonna be BIG. But I figure it will be a truly fantastic piece to see when it's done. And I really am enjoying working on each letter block at a time. Each letter has so many witty details, it's fun to look at while stitching.

Here are my B and C blocks up-close:

The stitch I'm mainly using is the plain ol' Tent Stitch - or Basketweave Stitch when I have the room. But as I stitch, if I can substitute other easy stitches, I do. Check out the little red house on the B block; and the satin stitched leaves on the C block; and also the itty bitty french knot trees in the C block. Nothing too stressful or difficult, but just a change here and there to add interest and dimension to the piece (not to mention speeding up the stitching time).

I was happy to get the G for Garden block done while the work on my yard was underway - it's one of my favorite blocks in the series:

Now.....on to the rest of the alphabet!

Still Stitching

2010-11-03T07:33:00.000-07:00

In-between dealing with the backyard remodel, I have been doing dibs and dabs of stitching. A little bit of this, a little bit of that. I thought I'd share with you a few of the "FUN" projects I've been working on, a bit at a time.

[Aside: a FUN project to me is one that I didn't design; MY designs I consider "WORK" projects and they require a different headset than "fun" ones. And yes, I'm stitching away on new projects to release in the next month or so, but you'll just have to be patient about those - grin!]

This truly fun one is ANG's 2010 "Stitch of the Month" mystery project, designed by Sue Reed. I was inspired to start stitching on this after I saw the REMEDIAL STITCHER's progress on her piece (Thanks, Sara Leigh!) If you go visit Sara's blog, you'll see how different hers is from mine...

Instead of using my favorite spring pinks and greens, I settled on more autumnal mauves and salmons with golden greens that reminded me of chrysanthemum colors - the inspiration thread was a variegated thread that I dyed myself to use as the foundation for the piece. I also used #5 pearl cottons thruout the whole piece, which is different from the original thread list, just because those are the threads I pulled and was too lazy to go digging for the necessary floss colors...

If you really look close at my mystery piece, you'll notice that my outer tapestry boxes are different - I switched the threads, so that the diagonal boxes would be slightly different. I was curious to see the difference in switching some of the lights and darks - so I just did it! I'm looking forward to seeing what November and December have in store for this piece and then finishing it up by the end of the year.

This is a fun counted canvaswork piece, and it's free. If you would like to try it for yourself, just go to the American Needlework Guild website: www.needlepoint.org and click on the Stitch of the Month project listed under the Educational Opportunities menu.

A Few Distractions

2010-11-01T07:30:00.000-07:00

I must confess that during these past few weeks I haven't been in my usual "All Stitching All The Time" mode. But I have a really great excuse: I've been in the midst of a backyard renovation.

These past few weeks have seen a flurry of workers transform my boring, bark-filled backyard from this:

to this:

WOO HOO! Which means that now, with a new flagstone patio AND a lovely lawn, Katie and I can actually walk out into the yard....and we're BOTH extremely pleased about that! As you can see, Katie is already relaxed and ready to play ball in her new space:

This week I plan to go shopping for a few trees and a bunch of shrubs to screen that boring ol' fenceline. And I can't wait to get to the really fun part: planting flowering bushes and lots of bulbs for springtime....

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T07:30:00.000-07:00

I thought you'd like to see the October vignette I've currently arranged on my mantle, to celebrate the colors of the season. My HAPPY HALLOWEEN design still brings a grin to my face, with all its colorful Halloween motifs. (I keep meaning to get around to designing a Christmas version of this, but haven't had the time to do it yet - sigh....maybe next year...)

And yes, that's a Jim Shore pumpkin nutcracker, that I bought many years ago at one of the quilt & craft shows I used to go to with my stitchery booth. I'd never seen a pumpkin nutcracker before and just had to have it 'cuz it was so unusual! Perfect for the season, huh?!?

Anyway, don't eat too many candy corns....and have a spook-tacular Halloween!

Friday Flowers: October's Colors

2010-10-29T13:47:00.000-07:00

Here are a few snapshots of the leaves and pumpkins around my house....
There's nothing so cheery on a grey Octobery day like a few bright orange pumpkins or some fiery gold leaves waving from the trees:

Even the dreaded Poison Oak is pretty in the fall (as long as you don't get too close):

Hope your Halloween weekend is a colorful and safe one!

Friday Flowers: Purple, Pink & Orange

2010-10-22T07:56:00.000-07:00

There's something about this purple, pink & orange color combination that fascinates me. It's very happy... very festive... and very autumnal as well.

Here are some flower pictures I've taken around my yard and beyond that show off this color palette. Enjoy this October bouquet of dahlias, chrysanthemums, black-eyed susans, zinnias, tiger lilies, and just a peek of a pumpkin!

HAPPY WEEKEND!

Happy, Happy, Happy!

2010-10-21T10:14:00.000-07:00

I'm pleased to report that the new quilt design I showed you a while back - RED HOT PEPPERS - is now done! I had so much fun stitching on this happy piece; I don't know if it was the funky design or the playful colors, but it was a delight to stitch up and I finished it inside of a week. Woo Hoo!

It's a larger quilt piece: 10" by 10" on 18 ct. mono canvas (I used eggshell), but it worked up fast. I know that the inner section looks very busy, but when you step back from the piece it looks like some sort of celebration's going on with Confetti! Pinata Goodies! Hot Tamale Candy! Mardi Gras Jewelry! There's a happy party going on here!! And though you can't see it in the photo, there are red and gold metallics glinting all over the piece. Very festive, let me tell you!

I was also inspired to design a matching ornament (a smaller design about 4.5" x 4.5") that can be stitched in coordinating colors or an entirely different palette - it's your choice. And while I was stitching on this red and yellow version, my mind's eye also saw it done with bright oranges instead of the reds - to make a fun Halloween piece - so I've included an orange colorway on the pattern, too.

There are no difficult stitches in this piece; it's all done with Diagonal Satin Stitches of varying lengths. Here's a close-up of the design to show you how easy it really is:

The only different stitch is the "long triangle" I invented to create the hot pepper border. I'm pleased with the look of this long triangle and plan to use it in future quilts, just to have something new to work with.

So if you're looking for something fresh and fun and EASY to stitch up in-between long, hard stitching projects, you might like to try my RED HOT PEPPERS! Please visit my website (shown on the list at the right) for more detailed information.

Something Totally New and Exciting

2010-10-15T14:48:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about developing my own cyber classes for quite a while now. I suspect there must be quite a lot of stitchers like me out there: stitchers who LOVE stitching new projects but HATE the idea of packing everything up and travelling away from home (for a variety of economic, domestic, and logistical reasons that we all can relate to.) And now, thanks to the wonderful techno-marvelous society we live in, what better way to experience the best of both worlds - stitching AND staying home in your comfy chair - than by taking a cyber class....

Soooooo, my stitchy friends, the time has come to announce the very first Laura J. Perin Designs Cyber Class offering:

TA DA!!
It's called "CORSAGE".

It's an 8.5" x 8.5" piece done on Santa Fe green 18 ct. mono canvas. I've created six different colorways that the stitcher can choose from: blue (shown above), pink (shown below), purple, turquoise, orange, and red.

Since one of the main things I enjoy most about stitching is making personal choices in everything I stitch, I want to provide that same design fun for the stitchers who sign up for this class. As the project unfolds, stitchers will have several choices to make to personalize their piece. One of the big choices will be deciding which flower to put in the middle box - either a gardenia (shown above) or a dogwood (shown below). (And if you should decide to do your flower in a color other than ecru the flower becomes a rose or camillia - is that magical or what?!?)

Anyway, the Cyber Class registration period runs from October 16th to November 30th of 2010. The class will start on January 15, 2011 (after all the holiday hoopla has died down and stitchers are ready to get back to stitching in the new year). I expect the class to run about 4 to 6 weeks, with email "lessons" every week.

For more information, and all the particulars about my new "Corsage" Cyber Class, please visit the new LJP Cyber Class page on my website by clicking on the LAURA J. PERIN DESIGNS title listed on the right.

Frilly, Frothy Friday Flowers

2010-10-01T07:40:00.000-07:00

Okay, say that title fast three times -- I dare ya!!

These are photos I've taken this summer of just a few of the many crape myrtles that were blooming around my neighborhood. I couldn't get over how many different pinks and purples that popped up all over the place - in trees and bushes all over Cloverdale -- it was quite a colorful display!

It was hard to take any "dramatic" shots of individual flowers, since each mass was made of of hundreds of frilly little flower cups like this:

And doesn't this frilly hot pink number look like something Carmen Miranda would have worn off her shoulders??

But en masse these crape myrtles really look lovely against a lush green summer landscape:

Fall Colors

2010-09-30T07:43:00.000-07:00

I recently got a nice phone call from a stitching friend in Lousiana who heads a group of stitchers who are working on my ONE LONG PANEL. She said the ladies are having such fun stitching this piece up. But they had a few questions....

First: one of the ladies has a lovely frame she wants to use. Can she widen the design so it fits in her larger frame? Well...YES! I told her she could certainly widen the design, just by repeating some of the design elements, so it becomes wide enough to suit her special frame.

[Aside: you could also make a SHORTER panel, if you wanted as well -- just pick your favorite patterns and stitch to size!]

Second: did they have to get a long stretcher bar set to frame the work?
Not at all! Scroll bars are not just for cross stitch, you know. I like putting a lot of my canvaswork on scroll bars because it's easier for me to reach and get up-close to the stitching. What's nice about the ONE LONG PANEL piece is that you CAN attach it to short scroll bars, then (from the center of the graph) count up to the top of the design and just stitch your way down the whole length.

Here's one of my favorite set-ups, using a GRIP-IT lap frame (you slip it under your legs, adjust it a jillion different ways and use it comfortably anywhere - sofa, bed, patio, etc. I just love it!)

And yes, you sharp-eyed stitchers -- that's a NEW design I'm working on now. It's another long panel -- but this one is done in the yummiest Novembery fall colors of purples, rusts, gold, and browns (Watercolours 231 - Ethiopia, if you really want to know). One of you blog readers made a comment about hoping a long panel series was in the works, and you were soooooo right! I'm starting out by doing one for each of the four seasons. I've done Summer, and now this one is for Fall...

Stayed tuned for more fall developments....and as always, keep stitching!

Three Quick Things

2010-09-29T07:35:00.000-07:00

Today's posting has three quick things for you: a peek, a snip, and a ring.

THE PEEK is of a new quilt design I just started this weekend. It came from out of nowhere, but after I did a bit of doodling, pulled some jazzy thread colors, I just couldn't wait to start stitching it up. It's a fun one, I've got to admit! I think I'm gonna call it RED HOT PEPPERS (since it uses Watercolours' 277 - Hot Peppers and besides, the new outer border technique reminds me of chili peppers...I also think I'll include a color option for using oranges, so it could also be stitched as a Halloweeny project and hopefully, I'll have the pattern finished and available in October, but we'll see how it goes!)

THE SNIP is an efficient way to cut your #5 pearl cotton skeins so you can keep the thread inside the paper cuffs and have your skeins stay neat and labeled. In the above photo, see the two loops at the end of each skein? They look like bunny ears to me, and you need to open the loops up, then CUT AT THE TIPS of each loop. All your thread pieces will now be accessible to pull from the OTHER end of the skein without taking off the paper cuffs.

THE RING is a new technique I'm trying with this project. I had all my thread skeins loose in a box, but it occured to me that after I "bunny cut" all my skeins, I could slip them on a single binder ring so they could hang from my floor stand or wherever I happen to be stitching. We'll see how well this technique works to keep all my threads from getting tangled up, falling on the floor, slipping down the sofa cushions, etc., etc., etc... as they usually do as I stitch along.

Anyway, I thought I'd share these little things with you just for fun today. Hope you get to do some stitching!

Lightning Strikes!

2010-09-22T07:19:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time, when I started out designing my first needlepoint quilts, I stitched up a small one that I thought of as my "Lightning Bolt" design. It was a very basic layout, using only one variegated thread and one background thread. I never developed it further than a sample model, and over the years, it got buried in my piles of projects.

Recently, while rummaging thru my stuff, I came across this little sample again. I always wanted to do a lighning bolt pattern, so I decided now was the time to do it. After all, this year has been rather crazy in the weather department, hasn't it? So what better way to acknowledge the fact than by stitching up a new design!

Here's what I came up with for my "new and improved" LIGHTNING BOLT:

In the original model, all the lightning blocks are going in the same direction. In the new version, I decided to change stitch direction on every block down the row. It creates a crazy zig zag line AND it makes the light changes more dramatic when you tilt the piece in the light (which doesn't show up in the photos - alas.)

I also jazzed up the outer borders by turning the single zig zag border into a triple zig zag border. AND I added two metallic ribbons - one purple and one silver - so there's plenty of sparkle thruout the whole piece. Here's a close-up of the new pattern:

Truthfully, one of the reasons I never developed the original design was it seemed too plain. And I couldn't figure out what color to use. Both of those problems were solved by waiting a bit before proceeding. Now that there are sooooo many more variegated colors on the market and sooooo many more metallics available, I had many more options to consider.

Ultimately, I chose Watercolours' 259, "Garden Path", because it had purples, yellows and greens, all the colors of a dark stormy sky. And I decided to use a bruised purple background (DMC #5 3042) to mimic all those threatening thundery skies we've seen. In the corners are a row of squares, that I like think of as a string of raindrops - or hail, if you prefer!

And you know what? After I had the model stitched and photographed, it suddenly struck me how Art Deco this piece looks - something I hadn't really noticed while stitching it up.

Anyway, this is my latest design for this month: LIGHTNING BOLT. If you're interested in adding it to your stash, please visit my website for ordering details.

I Maintain The Fantasy

2010-09-21T07:08:00.000-07:00

While working madly last month to get ready for the San Francisco EGA Seminar, I maintained the fantasy in my mind that when I returned I would reward myself by sitting all day in my stitchy chair and working leisurely on project after project, sipping tea and munching on chocolate for sustenance.

Well, I have returned from the Seminar and alas, my cherished fantasy
Is Not To Be.
Too much work has piled up. Orders have flooded in. And oh, how had I forgotten? I have trunk shows and lots of other October events to prepare for!

So I've been back at work, frantically printing and collating and packaging for these up-coming events:

A trunk show of my designs at Kelsey's Needle Krafts in Placerville, CA. If you're up in the Gold Country in October (or even down in the Sacramento Valley and want a day trip up into the Sierra foothills) why not check out Kelsey's new shop in the lovely gold town of Placerville?

And if you're going to the ANG Seminar in Columbus, OH through October 1-8th, be sure to visit the ANG Boutique, run by M's Canvashouse (from Lexington, KY). They'll have a bunch of my latest designs in their shop.

And I also got a call from Louise's Needleworks in Powell, Ohio. They are located a short distance away from the ANG Seminar and will be running a shuttle back and forth to their shop during the week-long event. AND, they're planning to feature all sorts of counted canvaswork designers - including my work. So I've sent another box of assorted patterns to Louise's so shoppers can have even MORE stuff to oogle!

And October is the time my stitching friends in El Paso, Texas have their annual mountain retreat, run by Nancy Wahler of The Counted Thread. I certainly wish I could join them at their stitching retreat, but instead I'm sending a box of goodies for the fun stitching ladies of El Paso.

So all you travelling stitchers out there....have fun stitching and shopping. Just spare a kind thought for me, maintaining my fantasy about sitting down and stitching some time soon... and oh, yes, Katie is fantasizing too -- about somebody having time to stop and play fetch with her!

My Big City Adventure

2010-09-16T06:38:00.000-07:00

Last week I travelled to San Francisco (about an hour south of Cloverdale) to attend the Merchandise Event at the EGA National Seminar. I picked up my stitching friend, Gauri, on the way (she helped me at my table with all the stitching customers). Here we are in the heart of The City, heading straight for the Marriott Marquis:

Isn't this a great shot of the old and new combined? The famous modern Pyramid Building is on the left, the old wedge-shaped Flat Iron Building on the right.

We got to the hotel in plenty of time to enjoy the SF sites, as well as a delicious dinner in a restaurant in a famous old domed SF building that's been converted to stores:

Then the next day we quickly set up my table before the shoppers entered. Here's a shot of the merchandise room (during a rare afternoon lull) and the view I had from my table:

And finally, here's a shot of me at my table, looking a little bleary-eyed after a long day of meeting and greeting lots of happy stitchers:

Behind me, you can just see the back of fellow designer and teacher Joan Thomasson. Over on the left (out of the picture) was Ann Strite-Kurz (who I finally got to meet after enjoying her books and projects for many years. I took the opportunity to get a copy of her latest stitching book to add to my collection.)

It was great fun to be a part of this seminar - even if it was only for a day. I really enjoyed seeing lots and lots of familiar faces and friends from past stitching events. Thank you, EGA Stitchers, for stopping and shopping at my table!

Just Call Me Rumpelstiltskin

2010-08-30T07:47:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't been blogging much this month. I've been soooo busy on a variety of fronts that I just haven't had time to sit down, draw a deep breath, and think about stitching - let alone DO some stitching. Whew. It's been that crazy (but in a good way - grin)....

My latest preoccupation is getting ready for the EGA National Seminar, being held in San Francisco next week. I've signed up for a table at their Wednesday Merchandise Event, which is a fun-filled day of stitchy shopping heaven for all those Seminar attendees.

I've been busy printing lots of patterns. And I also spent some time hand-dying some thread (three different weights of pearl cottons) - which is something I do occasionally. (And before you all ask: unfortunately I'm NOT selling any of my thread on my website. It's just too much work to get into the thread-dying business full-time and it would take me away from my designing work - which is my TRUE passion. And besides, there are already lots of different thread companies out there that provide us with plenty of hand-dyed threads.) Anyway, it's really messy, back-breaking work, but as you might imagine, having lots of luscious thread at the end is well worth all the effort.

I feel like the girl in the old fairy tale that is stuck in a room with pile of straw and told to weave it into gold. Here's what my boring "pile of straw" looked like before I started:

At this point, I get into my old paint-spattered clothes, slip on some plastic gloves and start painting thread....

And here's what it looks like after it has been rinsed and is drying on the line:

Then it needs to be twisted back into skeins and labeled, but here's what all the hard work is about:

My straw has been turned into stitching GOLD: lots and lots of gorgeous thread to play with....dream with...and ultimately -- stitch with!

So, if you're lucky enough to be going to the EGA Seminar in September, please stop by and say "Hi" ... and check out all my treasure!

Time to Cool Off!

2010-08-05T19:30:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd show you some more of my designs that feature blues and greens. On a hot summer day there's nothing cooler than stitching on a cool new project that has lots of blues and greens.... aquas and purples are pretty cool too, don't you think?

Anyway here's some more coolness for you to savor. And if they inspire you to take a big splashy leap into a cool new project -- all the better!

Reflecting Pools (the ultimate cool design!)

Sapphire Star

Pacific Coast Collage

Nature Sampler (a blackwork design)

Koi Pond (a blackwork design)

Malachite Maze(totally green, but still cool!)

Polaris

Turquoise Trail

And I'll close with a very cool Blue Hydrangeas

and the bluest of blue flowers, Bluebonnet Collage

Pages of Inspiration

2010-08-02T07:30:00.000-07:00

A non-stitcher friend of mine recently asked me where I get my inspiration from (something lots of people have asked me over the years), and if I ever run out of ideas. OH CONTRAIRE!! I told her that my problem is having TOO MANY IDEAS and consequently having to tell them all to quit crowding me, and to take a number and I'll get around to them eventually!

Case in point: this morning I took the time to browse through some home design magazines. In a spring issue of Traditional Home I came across several intriguing possibilities for future designs and I thought I'd share them with you, to show you how my "designing mind" works....

This is a large Henry Moore lithograph that caught my eye. I immediately translated this composition to squares of stitchy patterns and abstracted shapes. Can you see how well this might be adapted as an abstract canvaswork design? It could be large or small, monochromatic or multi-colored too....

Okay, focus on the wallpaper in this photo.It's a Victorian-looking wallpaper that struck me as an excellent format for a geometric canvaswork piece. Picture a large diamond shape, made up of four of the smaller diamond shapes (with the medallions at each intersection). That creates four diamond boxes to fill with something or other -- blackwork? flowers? intricate geometrics?? Hmmmmmm...lots of in-ter-est-ing poss-i-bil-i-ties.

Now this photo caught my eye because of the large floral painting on the wall. It reminds me of some of the happy, graphic, floral painted canvases we stitchers are seeing more and more of in the needlepoint market. Just imagine what a big stitched floral canvas would look like in place of this painting. And why don't these interior designers use some needlepoint on their walls? Hey, You Guys, NEEDLEWORK IS ART TOO!!!

Is this a happy room or what?!? My eye was immediately drawn to the big square canvases of color cubes. I'M SEEIN' BLOCKS OF STITCHING HERE - each done in a different color and stitch pattern. Picture a series of canvases (12" x 12"? 16 x 16"? or even larger? whoa, how about stitching these on 13 ct canvas?) with these same collections of colors, but stitched! They could be monochromatic, as stitch or color studies; or they could be color family studies. Either way, a stitcher could have a really great time working on a series like this.

Sooooo, you see my dilemma as a designer? I'm equally intrigued by all of those pictures. Which of these ideas do I pursue first? Because, trust me, I wanna try ALL of them! And eventually I will, but for now I'll dog-ear the pages in the magazines, scribble some notes to myself in my little notebook, and then get back to stitching on the projects I have going now. If I stitch a little bit faster, maybe I can get those done and then start designing something new next week....Stay tuned, Stitchers!!

A Blast From The Past

2010-07-31T14:09:00.000-07:00

Last week was one of the most unexpectedly busy and unusual weeks I'ver ever had. Not only did I have a flurry of calls and orders from stitchers and stores all over the country for my new pattern, ONE LONG PANEL, but totally out of the blue, I got an email/query from a friend I'd lost touch with many years ago.

Thanks to this wondrous thing called the worldwide Internet, my old friend Liz and I have reconnected and it's been so much fun talking to her again. After firing off a string of emails back and forth, we agreed to meet "face to face" in a video call on SKYPE. Once our computers connected to each other, we were able to see one another, and of course, the first thing we both said to each other as we were jumping up and down is: "YOU HAVEN'T CHANGED A BIT!!!" And then we were OFF, chattering and laughing and getting caught up on 30 years worth of stories.

Here's Liz (and her wonder dog Lucas) from umpteen years ago, when we first met...and yes, I'm the one taking the picture:

That's my horse, Final Appeal, a Quarter horse I got straight off the race track who didn't know diddly except running hard in a straight line. He was SOOOOOO young and nervous and green and inexperienced. And frankly, so was I.

Enter Liz Mooz, horse trainer extraordinaire! With the patience of a saint and more contagious enthusiasm than anyone I'd ever met, she spent a lot of time working with me and Appeal so that eventually, he became a calm and collected pleasure horse, and I became a much more confident rider.

Those years I spent riding and working with Liz, going to horse shows and just plain revelling in all that horsey-ness were truly some the best years of my life. Eventually our paths separated and Liz moved out of state to become a nationally known horse trainer and breeder of the most extraordinary horses, while I found my own niche in the stitchery world. Incidently, Liz is now a personal chef in the Lebanon, Indiana area (check out Liz' blog: The Nutrition Police News.....which might actually force her to write some more on her blog - big grin here...)

Liz, I can't tell you how glad I am you contacted me after all these years....and I can't wait to SKYPE again and catch up on aaalllll the other stuff we have to share with one another! And oh yeah Liz, here's a photo I found of my beloved Appaloosa, Stormy - the club-footed, one-eyed jumper. Remember this terrific guy???

(And All You Stitchers Out There: if you ever think about old friends you've lost touch with, why not try Googling their names and see if you can find them online. The experience is one I would highly recommend!)

I Take a Stand

2010-07-30T07:48:00.000-07:00

Several stitchers have asked me about the floorstands I showed in some of my recent photos. I have two wooden floorstands that I use. I got both of them at the old Cross Stitch Festivals many, many years ago.

The first one I call my "UFO" stand, since I can't remember the company that made it. They also sold scroll bar sets that had nice wooden knobs and their product slogan was "wood against wood and metal against metal" which was supposed to keep all the moving parts durable.

I like the long dowel arms on this stand, because I can make them any length I want, to fit any size project. It works best with scroll bars, but I've also used it for projects on stretcher bars too.

My other floorstand is a Gripit Plus model that I got one year when my booth was next to theirs at a craft & quilt show. Here's what it looks like:

What's really great about this floorstand is how flexible it is and how you can make the project come to YOU, instead of stretching across the project. There are so many moving sections that you can position it any way you want. I especially like the way the scroll bar section tilts down left and right, so you can slant the project lower on one side so you can snuggle up nice and cozy to your project.

Since I always have so many projects going at once (and they're all on different scroll or stretcher bars), I seldom leave just one project attached to my stand. So I have also rigged up a way to use this stand with other types of scroll or stretcher bars. I simply use a set of small vice grips (you can find a variety of these in any hardware store) to clamp my project to the protruding bars, like this:

All that being said, I have no idea if either of these models are still available. I do know that a stitching friend of mine (Lou in NC) just ordered a large wooden floorstand from K's Creations and she is absolutely delighted with it because it doesn't wobble and it fits up to her comfy stitching chair, has a cool handy tray for all her tools - plus it folds down to a flat storing size.

If you're interested in getting a floorstand for your growing stitching obsession, why not try researching a bit on the internet? Think about the qualities you want in a stand, then visit some of the many online stores to see what they carry. I'm sure you'll find something that fits your needs perfectly!

A New Design

2010-07-28T07:40:00.000-07:00

I try to release a new design every month, if possible. And this month I've got something a little different to show you. I call it ONE LONG PANEL (well, really, I was stumped and couldn't think what else to call it). I was inspired to create it after flipping through a home decor magazine one day and seeing a plain, long, rectangular solid color - framed - on the wall of a home. I stopped and thought, "Shoot, a stitched panel would be much prettier than that!" And I promptly set out to design something similar. And I also confess that I happened to have a lovely long frame that would fit the design perfectly....so here's what I came up with:

It's 4.5" x 16" long and I stitched it on 18 ct. tan mono canvas (the old "brown" canvas). I've used a variegated Watercolours (257 - Spearmint) as the foundation color, and then matched up a few solid color #5 pearl cottons, plus a few Ribbon Floss colors and some gold metallics as well.

Here's what some of the sections look like up close:

I picked five fun and elegant main patterns, and as I was stitching I realized I could separate them with four entirely different bands - to create a long band sampler, but one that definitely wasn't traditional or old-fashioned! And frankly, it was kinda fun to stitch something that was long and rectangular, instead of the usual square shape.

And THEN I also realized this design is a truly great one for changing colors. In fact, I've included on the back page four other colorways for this design, in peach, purple, pink, and blue. But you don't have to stop there -- this is a great design for stitchers to choose their OWN colors to match their OWN decor! (Stitchers can also change the canvas color too, if they want a different color background...)

So, if you're interested in a new shape for stitching, please check out my ONE LONG PANEL on my website.

Bonjour, Mon Amis!

2010-07-26T07:30:00.000-07:00

Last week I finally finished this little canvas of the French hotel.

After doing all the architectural elements, I was able to get to stitch the fun dimensional stuff --the flowers! Here's a close-up of my flower boxes:

I stitched the foliage with variegated greens; first the dark to medium greens, then a lighter green on top.... all in very haphazard lazy daisy stitches going every which way.

Then I added the flowers on top, using two pink Ribbon Floss colors. I made large french knots (three wraps around the needle) so the flowers would be big and floppy. For the flowers above the hotel sign, I added smaller french knots (only one wrap around the needle) in pale yellow Ribbon Floss. The canvas actually only had greenery above the sign, but I decided to add a little bit of soft yellow so there were even MORE flowers on the canvas.

Notice how I made a doornob using gold beads... I really like the look of this polished addition! And if you look carefully on the windows, you can see a few diagonal stitches I placed on top, after I stitched both windows in plain ol' tent stitch. It just looked like a window screen, so I decided to try adding some random slashes of silver thread, to see if it would look more like window reflections - and it does, especially at a slant. (But the metallic is kinda hard to see in the photos.)

So, HURRAH!, a canvas finished and ready to frame, a project crossed of the list ..... and now on to the next project!!

My Cozy Nook

2010-07-12T07:30:00.000-07:00

Well, I've found another fun place to stitch in my house. This time it's in the kitchen nook. I have my breakfast here, with the golden morning light shining in from all the windows. It's a perfect place to sit and read while I have breakfast and Katie curls up on the rug underneath the table.

Then the other morning I thought, "Gee, this would be a good place to stitch, too." And I went and got one of my floor stands and a little project I'm working on for the kitchen, and VOILA!.... A new Stitching Station is born!

So I've been spending some of my mornings stitching away in the bright morning light. I even put my laptop on the table so I can listen to audiobooks while I stitch -- my idea of HEAVEN!

And here's the little project I'm working on:

It's a project I bought at a local ANG "auction" a few years ago that had not only the canvas, but ALL the threads needed as well. When I pulled it out recently I realized the hotel is the same color as the walls of my kitchen. So I HAD to get stitching on it so I could see it framed on the wall.

It's been fun stitching with threads picked out by someone else. I chose to stitch the hotel in clapboards instead of basketweaving the whole thing - thought it would go faster (done with Flax 'n Colors "Pumpkin Mousse"). And the shutters are all done in Pebbly Perle. I started tent stitching the shutters - both the black and white areas and GAD, was it HARD. The Pebbly Perle was too thick and tough to work in solid tent stitches, so I ripped out the white rows and left the black shadow rows, and then just laid long horizontal white stitches along the slat lines - it was MUCH easier to deal with, although my shutters are a little wonky! (But, hey, this is an old French building and it's okay for the shutters to be a little ancient looking, n'est pas?. Grin.....)

Currently, I'm stitching the windows with a very fine silver Kreinik Cord. You can see it in the photo, but I'm just tent stitching - tedious, but it does glint like glass windows. And I substituted my own hand-dyed thread for the walkway, instead of the greyish Gentle Arts thread that came with the canvas. I just saw the street paved in used bricks - so that's how I stitched it.

All that's left now are the leaves on the flower boxes. I'm using two different variegated greens and just placing lazy daisy stitches haphazardly all over. The really fun part will be putting all the flowers on top. The original owner of the canvas chose red silks for the geraniums. I'm planning to use two pink Ribbon Floss colors, just to maintain the pink "kick", just as the canvas designer originally painted. Oh, yeah, and I think the red door needs a doornob - maybe some gold beads??

I'll share the finished piece with you after I have everything stitched, but now I had better get back to it. I'm soooo close to finishing this piece and I'm nearly there.....

Friday Flowers: Red Mixed With Pink

2010-06-25T07:30:00.000-07:00

I'm settling into my new house very nicely now. I've even had time to snap a few pictures of the flowers I've inherited from the previous owner. I'm guessing she REALLY liked red, since all the flowers are some variation of magenta. And I've also included some shots of dark pink flowers, that a good stitching friend of mine brought as a house-warming present, when she visited a few weekends ago. She said she wanted to make sure I had some new flowers to show in my "Friday Flowers" posting. Thanks, Laurel!

And in keeping with today's red theme, I'll close with a picture of my newest "stitching station" which shows off my new wicker patio furniture. It's very comfy, very spacious, and most importantly, very stitch-friendly!! I could EASILY spend all day lounging out there -- reading, stitching, and playing on my new (ahem, burgundy) Nindendo DS....

Happy Friday, Everyone...I hope you all enjoy some quality playtime this weekend!